The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-11-13
BILL ARP.
He Feels Good, Then Sad, Then Feels
Good Some More.
Atlnnta Constitution.

atlanta Constitutions.
1t is curious how man can fool him.
self. Two or three days before the cleo.
ton had made up my mind and become
reconciled to defeat, for had been read
ing both sides pretty close aud had given
it up. So mustered up all my phloso-
ply and imagined ] was prepared for
anything. But l wasn't. l was fooling
myself. I wouldn't 60 to Atlanta Tuesday
to see the Constitutions jack.o-my.lantern.
I went to town and voted and came back
home early for didn't want TO stay and
hear bad news. Next morning l went
out on the big road to fix broken gate
and I thought maybe somebody would
come along aud tell me the news without
my asking, but nobody came but a darkey
and he didn't know anything. went to-
the house and ruminated and tried to be
calm and serene but l couldn't and kept
looking down the big road for somebody
to come and break the news and l was
afraid somebody would come, and the
news would be bad. I've been to the
dentists afore now to have an aching
tooth pulled and was glad 10 find the
door locked and the dentist gone. So |
waited another hour foz somebody to
come from town and then went off to the
field to work. About noon man came
along and hailed me with hurrah for
Cleveland and be hurried on before I
could ask him the news. But it sounded
favorable aud hoped me up so,ne. At
two o'clock another man came by and
said Cleveland was elected but wasn't
satisfied and so l didn't cut up nor evo-
lutte, but by and by when l got my mail
and read "Victory" in great big letters at
the head Of the column was over
whelmed with thankful and joyful sur
prise. There was not soul at home but
me and the dog and cat and in as much as
they couldn't understand any gymnastics |
kept my seat placidly by the fire and felt
good all over all by myself US | read the
growing and the rejoicing that filled
the columns of the Constitution. l
was just thinking about going over to tell
the news to nabor Munford, for he said
that if Cleveland was elected he knowed
he would have fit and I wanted to see
what kind of fit it would be. General
Young told me that the first thing that
he would do would be to indulge for a
day or two in some artificial elation and
then subside and reform and join the
church, for reform was the watch word
of the party aud we all ought to reform
out of gratitude.
But it does look like the good things
of this life don't last long. ! hadent re.
ioiced very long before / got to feeling
sorry for the other side. Sorry for some
clever men who were in Office and would
have to step down and out. was even
sorry for Mr.. Blaine. The good book
says we must rejoice with those that re.
joice and weep with those that weep and
T was trying my bes. to do both. don't
care so much about the men but it hurts
me to see their wives and children disap.
pointed and distressed. When good
man is.in Office and needs it for the sup.
port Of his family I don't think I could
turn him out, ] don't think could, and
That is one thing that made me like
Grover Cleveland, for they say that when
he was first elected Governor of New
York he never turned out but one man.
Well, that may do in New York but it
won't do at Washington. The rascals
must all go and there are lots of them.
Mr.. Cleveland will be doing enough for
them to pardon them out of the peniten-
tiary when they get there. Reform is
what the nation wants. The tariff is a
little thing compared with it.
But while I ruminated on these things
and was feeliog comfortable and compla.
cent over my own generous feelings to-
wards fallen foe, a feller came along
with the news that New York had gone
for Blaine and 80 I just collapsed and
wited and felt rs humble and helpless
as dead nigger. lost all my philoso.
ply in half minute aud felt like
dident have friend in the world. Mrs.
Arp was away off in Rome and the girls
were in town and the children were at
school. The dog came creeping in to the
fire and I kicked him OUT and then got
sorry for him and called him back again.
When the children came home dident
indulge in my usual loving greetings nor
ask who was head and how they got along
but moped around and looked solemn
until Jessie said, "Papa, you are sck
aint you?"
By and by nabor Freeman dropped in.
I knew he would come if Blaine was
elected for he is sorter on that side of the
fence and I never join issue with him in
an unpleasant way about it. for he is q
good nabor and that beats politics and he
has just as much right to his opinion as |
have to mine. But / knew that if he
found out Blaine was elected he would
come down to juhilate little and see
what had to say about it. So | never
let on but frightened up and made out
like it was just what l expected and it
dident make any difference either to him
or to me. I never gave him any chance
to crow over me, but / was home sick all
the same. | can't hear to be lifted away
up yonder aud then have all the props
knocked from under. I don't mind com
ing down on sliding scale but it hurts
me to fall so far and so heavy of sud
den. :,
Now here it is again, and the same old
Victory" at the mast head and both
sides claiming it. But my faith is now
shaken and Pm going to stay down on
the ground until | know more than do
now. I'm sorry for nabor Munford for
they say he has fit every morning be-
cause Cleveland is elected and another in
the evening because he amt, and General
Young is in a bad fix, too, and nobody
knows when he will be ready to join the
church.
But there is no sense in mourning and
cavorting over politics. If Blaine is
elected Pm going to make the best OF it
and be like the feller who swan around
old Noah's ark and asked to be let in and
when old Noah shook his head he swain
off to floating log and sttaddled it and
said he dident believe there was going to
be much of shower no how. Roland
told me to-day hatpolitics dident bother
him much in time of peace, but he heard
that Bob Toombs said there would be
another revolution before long eand he
reol,ono od thav ,vou1d LET q noOr man fight