The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-08-24
GRANDFATHER'S DAYS.
The Little Urchin of the third Gencrasi
From the Atlanta Constitution

A"e ritie Srchin OF the third Gencrasiun.
From the Atlanta Constellation.
When man begins TO get along in
years he gradually changes from being a
King in his family toa patriarch. He is
more tender and kind to his offspring
and instead Of ruling them, the first
thing he knows they are ruling him. NV
youngest children and my grandchildren
Just run over me now, and it takes more
than half my time to keep up with 'em,
and find out where they arc and what
they are doing. 1t rains most every day,
and the weeds and grass are ALWAYS wet
ana the branches are muddy and there
are SIX little chaps around here perusin'
me premises, and Mrs. Arp Just knows
t.hcy are bound to get sick or snake bit.
iui II. tt"mr, tramp, tramp from uIv..iirIk
III night, ana her anxiety reminds me of
men that we set on some duck eggs. for
when the brood was hatched they made
Tor the branch, and the hen ike to have
took q tit and flew from one side TO the
other and made an everlasting fuss try.
ing to tell em they would get drowned
utthey sailed around and around aud was
as happy as happy could be. These liz.
tie chaps ride the horses and colts over
the meadow and pasture, and make the
sheep Jump the big branch, and thev 20
In washing two or three times n day
and they climb the grape arbor and the
apple tree, and they can tell whether n
watermelon is ripe or green, for they plug
II to see, and every one Of 'cm has got a
silng shot and my pigeons are always ON
the wing, and the other day found one
OF the finest young pullets layinp dead
with hole in her side, and ali the salts.
faction l can get is didn't mean to do
1T, or won't do it any more, or didn
90 1t all. Jesse. It's most astonishing
nov the little fascals can shoot with their
sllngs, and now don't believe it was a
miracle at all that made David plump
old Goliah in the forehead, for these bows
can plump jay bird now at 40 wards.
and we have had to take all their wea.
pons away to protect the birds and poul-
try. Sometimes l get mad and rim IN
and around like was going to do some
thing desperate, but Mrs. Arp comes a
slipping, along and begins to tell how
they didn't mean any harm, and thew
are just like all other boys, and wants to
know if didn't do them sort of things
when was o boy. Well, that's facteI
did-and got lickin' for it too. You
see, WAS one of the Oldest BOYS. and
they always catch it, but the Youngest
one never gets lickin,' for by the time
he comes along the old man has
mellowed down and wants n pet. The
older children have married and gone
and the old folks feel sorter like thew
have been throwd off for somebody no
kin to 'em, and so they twlne around
those that are left all the closer, but by-
and-by they grow up, too, and leave them.
and it's pitiful to see the good old couple
bereft of their children and living alone
in their glory. Then ia the time that
grandchildren find welcome in the old
family homestead, for, as Solomon saith.
the glory of an old man is his children's
children. Then is the time that the lit
tie chaps of the second and third genera
tl0n love to escape from their we'll ruled
home, and for awhile find refuge and
freedom and frolic at grandpa's. A child
without grandpa and a grandma can
never have its share Of happiness. I'm
sorry for 'em. Blessings on tho good old
people, the venerable grand parents of
the land, the people with good old honest
ways and simple habits and limited de.
sires, who indulge in no folly, who han
ker after no big thing, but live along
serene and covet nothing but the happi.
ness of their children and their children's
children. said to a good old mother
not long ago: "Well, heard that Anna
is to be married" "Yes. SIR said exc.
smiling sor-owfu!iy, "I don't know what
will do. The last daughter I've got is
going to leave me. lve nursed her and
and petted her all her life, and I kinder
thought she was mine and would ALWAYS
be mine, but she's run off after fellow
she's no kin TO il the world, and Tho
never did do any thing for her but give
her ring and book or two and little
French candy now and then, and it does
look 30 strange and unreasonable. l
couldn't understand it at all if-if
hadent done the same thing myself n
long tins ago." and she kept knitting
away with smile and tear upon her
motherly face.
But I'm not going to slander tlese lit
tie chaps that keep us so busy looking
after them, for there is no meanness in
their mischief, and if they take liberties
it is because we let 'em. Mrs. Arp saws
they are just too sweet to live, and is al
ways narrating some Of their smart say
ilgs. Well, they are mighty smart, foF
they know exactly how to get everything
aud do everything they want for they
know how TO manage her, and they know
that she manages me, and that settles it.
A man is the head of house about
some things, and about some other things
he is only next to head, if he amt foot.
A man can punish his children, but it's
always advisable to make an explanation
in due time and let his wife know what
he did 1t for, because you see they are her
children shore enough, and she knows it
and feels it. The pain and trouble, the
nursing and night watching have all been
hers. The washing and dressing, and
meDding and patching--tieing up fingers
and toes, and sympathizing with 'em in
all their great big little troubles all falls
to her while the father is tending to his
farm, or bis store, or his office, or his
friends, or may be his billiard table.
When a woman says "this is my child"
it carries more weight and more meaning
than when n man says it, and I've not
got much respect for law that will give
a man the preference of ownership just
because he is man. remember when
was boy sad, pretty woman taught
school in our town, and she had sweet
little girl about eight years old, and one
day man came there for the child and
brought lawyer with him, and the
mother was almost distracted, and aii of
us boys-big and littie-got rocks and
sticks and thrash poles and hid the little
girl up in the cupalo, and when the sher-
if came we attacked him like killing
snakes or fighting yaller jackets, and we
run him oil, and when he come back
with more help we ran 'em all of, and
Al.