The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-01
BILL ARP.
Tell, Of the Happenings of Home.

BILL ARP.
Tells OF the Happenings of Home.
Southern Caltivator.
Our daily life is like kaleidoscope.
Every turn brings new picture, but it is
not like a kaleidoscope, for the pictures
are not all pleasing. We have our good
days and our bad days, our ups and
downs, and we never know what pleas
ures or what pains day will bring forth.
The chief business at our house now,
every night is to help the children get
their lessons and il takes all hands to do
it. These little chaps have got their
ambition up and have an idea that the
school is a bigger thing than circus.
Their spelling and their definitions and
their exercises and their speeches and
compositions have to be heard at home
two or three times over. Head marks
aud merits are all the talk. It takes
three or four lamps in the family room,
and last night lamp fell off of the
sewing machine and broke all to pieces
and the oil run over the floor and caught
on fire, and just such CONSERVATION
never was seen in my family. We have
had q lot of children and used kerosene
ever since it was first discovered and
never had q lamp 10 break before. The
girls all screamed and got away from the
burning fluid. got the bucket of water
and threw 1t all around the flames to
keep it from spreading and catching the
bed and one Of the girls picked up my
overcoat and threw it on to smother it
an other one got quilt and spread it
over, and sure enough they did put it out
but the quilt and The overcoat are now
ready to clothes some poor darkey. The
great big dictionary was on the floor and
some other books the children had been
using and they don't look much like books
'nuw-nevertheless we made narrow
escape and are grateful. Mrs. Arp is off
on visit and the girls won'tlet her
know anything abontit, for she would be
terribly alarmed and hurry back home
too premature. The floor is a sight and
can't be secured up, but We are going to
put down the carpet tomorrow and may
be the grease willTfade out by the spring.
Well the next day we concluded to open
the keg of new syrup that had just come
from market. So L hammered away to.
loosen the stopper and one of the boys
was leaning over and looking at the
oozing foam and says he, "maybe it will
spout like a beer barrel" ;"Not much /
reckon" said /, and just then sure enough
it did spout with vengeance, and took
him right in the countenance and filled
his mouth and his nose and eyes and
knocked his hat of and got all over his
head and in his hair and ran. down. his
back aud his bosom and I do think he
wassthe sweetest and most pitiful sight l
ever saw. He was literally christened
and baptized and Immersed in syrup and
was so badly strangled he couldn't talk
and the first thing he did say was to
blubber out 81 told you 3d." Poor fellow
we sent to-thespIing for water and we
stripped him, and it took six buckets full
and fresh suit of clothes to set him all
straight, and be says there is still piut
or two in his hair. Ralph has brought q
new dog here nov. He says he is
pointer A. man in town gave him to
Ralph for he said he liked the boy and
had no use for the dog. Yesterday the
cook had sent up the dinner, most all of
it, and went back again to the kitchen.
When she came up again to ring the bell
sbe.missed the roast Of beef aud sudden.
" discovered that the new dog had point.
ed it and dragged it off out of doors.
She alarmed tie family and we pursued
that dog with vengeance aud alacrity and
drove him away from the premises, and
now it leaks out that bis owner didn't
want to kill; him and put him off on
Ralph, as pointer neversdid like
pointers no how, for / never saw one that
was it for anything but to hunt birds,
and I don't get my birds that way.
Some times l get out of patience with
these children for they impose on. our
weakness. I never had half as many
privileges as they do. bad to get up
early and build the fire and bring the
water but now I let my children sleep
and Imake the FIRE for them. I Wouldn't
do it don't believe but Mrs. Arp says it
is wrong to wake up the children so early
and she reads me scraps from the news
papers and the journal of health which
says that children ought to be allowed to
sleep until they wake up of their own
accord. Our first children had harder
time than these last ones for Mrs. Arp
knows she amt going to have any more
andsshe is mighty tender to Carl and
Jessie. Most of the first ones have left
us and there are some more who / reckon
are willing to go and.' before long there
won lt.be but two or three:in the. house.
We are teaching elocution now, and I
have to stand up ard make bow and
show Carl how to say: "Not drum
was heard nor funeSal note," so that he
can surprise his mother when she comes
home. We have cut out new way to
the school house and put two long logs
across the creek and planked them for
the children to cross on and now they
seem to think the little bridge was just
made for themsto put the dog off into
the water, for he will follow them to
school and don't seem to mind his duck
ings a bit.
But somehow or somehow else things
don't seem right at home nowadays, for
the head of the family is away and we
would all be lonesome even with house.
full of company. What is home without
q mother? Why I had rather hear my
wife scold than to hear some folks sing
for there is more music in it and it all
comes so natural. If she had been here
that lamp wouldn't have turned over nor
the syrup exploded nor the dog stole the
meat, for she is the regulator, she is, and p.
heart.
BILL ARP.
An Abbeville Woman In a Georgia
= Court.
A correspondent of. the Augusta Ne,cs
says: To-day a pleasant-faced lady,
neatly attired in full suit of black,
,1.,,s, fovsJanf1v frop,