The Columbus journal., 1885-11-04
FAMILY TRIeULArlONS.
The Hard Lines That Have Fallen Upoa
Eli Arp.

Yuit US last "cch, duu OLupo COIuiuS
to-morrow-city company. have had
q chunk OF a darby boy hired all the
year, and he was right handy. He got
up the stove wood and brought the
water and MIXED the cows, and so
forth: but all of a sudden his daddy
''sent after him. to hoe cotton. and he
left on ten minutes notice. These
darkies are right clever and good-na-
tured, but they have nc more idea OF
q contract than a hog. They will
break il whenever it suits them. They
will quit You without warning. and not
feel mean about it a bit. The grass got
ahead of Mr.. Jordan Franklin. and he
just sent word to our chunk. Edward
Franklin, to come home. When l re-
monstrated and reminded him of his
contract. he says he is just obleeged 10
have him, and will send him back lies
as soon as hsis done with him" That's
all, and SO Ned cuts out without cere-
mony. We are doing our own niger
ing now. and it keeps ne busy. Our
big boy has COTS base ball nose. and it
was getting well. 1t was sorter swaig-
ing down until yesterday, when
q bee stung him on it. in the
peach orchard. and now it 10
bigger than ever. The orchard
is full of bees, for the peaches are ripe,
and the storm blew lots of them on the
ground. and Carl got stung OF the foot,
and so the more work falls upon me.
We cut down a dying redosk in the
grove and sawed it up with the cross
cut for stove wood. and my folks say it
won't burn good. and we had to work
up . dead sycamore. and the sun was
powerful hOt and come down with pow
er on my unsuspecting back. l forgot
that l had on q locust back shirt, for l
never wear one if l can find any other
in the drawer. and now there is a bis
tered streak running down my spine.
and l am sorter used up generally. But
there is no chance to stop now for CON-
pany is coming. This Jelly business has
got to proceed. l have to gather apples
and plums and blackberries to mike
jelly, and yet wood TO keep up the fire
to make Jelly and jam and gather
peaches to put up in the fruit jars. and
bring water to wash up the piazza floors,
and ever and anon it is more peaches.
and more apples, or MT water or more
wood. and they want three spring chick
ems caught. and the old pea hen. with
her fine young one. has strayed of, and
l must hunt them up. They all
worked hard yesterday mighty
hard, and knew they would over
sleep themselves. and 80 l got
breakfast this morning. and 4 right
good one. have long enjoyed a rep
utation in my family for making biscuit.
and they do praise my biscuit raptur-
Ously. MIR. Arp frequently says when
she sits down to the table. i wish l had
some of your pas biscuit this morning.
1t is a dangerous thing for a man to
know how to cook. 1 learned how to
cook in the army and Mrs. Arp says
that is the only good thing that ever
came out of the old war. | wish I
hadn't have learned or had kept it
secret. one or the other. She saws that
l can make up the best bed in the world.
The only trouble l have about the bed
is in getting her and the children out of
them. for they do love to sleep in the
morning.
If had been a darby in old slavery
times. my wife says she would have
given more money for me than any ten
She ever saw. for she could have con-
trolled ME then. But l don't see any
difference SD far as the controlling 10
concerned. and she got mt for nothing.
More water they say. | wonder what
upon earth they do with so much water?
The boys gone TO town after supplies.
fruit jars and Jelly tumblers. and sugar.
and HOrsford's powders. and a new
broom. and l don't know what all, and
now they keep me trotting. | wish
there wasn'tany town nOr any supplies.
Man that is born of one m and
tied to another is of few days and full
of trouble. But it might have been
worse-a heap wOrSe-fOr he might
have been born a woman and tied to a
man. That is the most perilOus condi-
ton in all nature. Nevertheless it has
1 an content. And 10 they want
some potatoes dug and some beans
picked. and there are more cucumbers
on the vines ready for picking. These
old bodies of ours are a sight of trouble.
wonder if they have no gardens or Or
chards in the next world? l am not
sure about that, for there is a heap of
Scripture that tells of trees. and cities.
and streets. and horses. and so forth. l
reckon we will have all the good and
non of the bad-nO rotten peaches nOr
bee stings-no stov wood to get-no
water to tote up 4 hill, no chickens to
catch. Well, l don't mind catching
the chickens. for the dog does that and
never hurts them, but | do despise to
Xix EN-" If there is anything better
than old-fashioncd fried chicken l don't
know it. but | want somebody else I O
Fix EN-" Everything that is good
has a bad side about it. If l was to
find a rich gold mine on my branch I
know it would bring some trouble, but
still l would risk Il.
Getting rich is like getting married.
everybody is willing to risk it. Calling
me aga;n-want TO know if l sent for
salt. OF course l didn't. Why should
l know the salt was out. There is
something out forever and ever. but l
didn't know it was salt. Have to send
up to Nabor Freeman's and borrow.
That is what q nabor is for-to borrow
from. Folks are not nabOrly unless
they lend and borrow. My folks may
make ont list Of everything that is out
and next day there will be something
wanted. Old Major Cooper told me
that he could live comfortably on ten
cents a day. lie said he had a COW and
she furnished milk and butter and
buttermilk. and he had -four. and all he
bought was coffee and sugar. He didn't
eat any meat. and he figured it all up
and it was ten cents. Why should any
body beg or s;arye in this country?
Who is there st feeble but what he can
make ten cents a day. An old IN
can make it knitting socks. But l want
more than that. A man has to get
older than l am to he content with such
limited diet. And now they want me
to put a handle TO the slop-bucket. II
Ican't find one Mrs. Arp thinks l can
just step TO the shop and make one.
And I can. The truth is. l have illus
trated my usefulness and contrivance
so long, there is no use in saving Il