The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-08-18
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BILL ARPsS CROPS.

BILL ARP'S CROPS.
When q farmer has laid by his
crop and the seasopsshaye been
kind and the,eorn and cotton looks
green and>vigorous, and the sweet
potato vines have covered the
ground, What, an innocent luxury
it is 10 setin tho piazzer in the
shades of evening and with ones
feet on the bannisteFs, ;contem-
plate9 the beauty and bounty of
nature and the hopeful prospect of
another years support: 1t looks
like that even On Ishmaelite
might feel calm and serious, and
if he is still ungrateful for his
abundant : blessings he issworse
than heathen, and ought to be
run out OF q christian country
with The Chinese plank in the
democratic platform. Every year
brings toll and trouble and appre-
hension, but there always comes
along rest and peace and ripe
fruits Of ones labOrs.
1 In the journey Of life the noun
tains loom up before us and they
look high and steep and rugged ;
but somehow they always disap-
pear just before we get to them
and then we can look back and
feel ashamed that wo borrowed 80
much trouble and had so much
anxiety for nothing. What q
] great pile of miserable fears we
build up every day. It's good for
| a man to ruminate over it and re-
iisolve to have moro faith IN Provl-
dence, and l am Illuminating now.
| ! I was thinking about the crop
that has been laid by and that
brought to mind another crop that
was pretty much done with and
is able 10 take care of itself with q
little watching. l mean the crop
of children that for 80 years has
kept US a working and worrying
by day and by night, in summer
and winter in peace and war, but
it's all over now thank the good
Lord for His mercies. The last
tender shoot is about laid by. No
more nussing and toting around
and warming the milk BY the mid
night lamp. No more baby songs
and dressing and undressing and
putting to bed. No tip-toeing round
the room when they are ASLEEP
and playing horse and bear and
monkey when they are awake
Never again will there be two Of
three of EN- crawling all over 6
man or under his chair, OR riding
on his bact or trotting on hit
weary knees as he sings the same
) old songs that be has sung thous
and times before. Our last anc
youngest, has passed rubicon
Bless her little heart, if it was fol
my sake, l wish she would never
grow any more or older, for she il
1.-THE comfort of my declining years
She can now wash and dress anC
: fundress, and say her own prayer
and put her little self to bed. Sht
can sing her own songs, and rlool
, at the picture books, and saves III
many a step, for she waits on vi
now like fairy and fills the hous'
with sunlight. The crop is lait
by, thank goodness, and wouldn'
undertake to make another for -;
house full Of gold. In the heyda.
of our youthful vigor kind Prov
idence enables US to bear up splen
didIy under these sore burdens
but an old man can't-it WASH
lntended-it's against the orde
of nature. Many time have
watched the old blue hen tha
lays and sets and hatches her lii
tie brood, and works and watche
: for en- a couple Of months, an
then lays by the crop and goes t
: laying again for another. W
' can't do that, and l don't want te
for l tell you I'm tired. If there
> any peril in life that is like a liz
. gering suicide, it is for an oil
. widower who has raised one GRO
to marry young wife and 60 t
8 cropping again. l don't thin
they will ever 60 TO Heaven,for tn
Arabs say that Paradise WASH
made for fools. If ever l am
U lone widower which the Lord fol
g bid, I'll fee from marrying W.
n man like l would from the wrat
IS to come, for my time is out. lV
d served my full term, and now tha
= am luxuriating in the long sh:
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