The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-06-24
BILL ARP.
BE and Mrs. Arp Celebrate their Birth
days.
Atlanta Constitution.

days.
Atlanta Constellation.
We are having some birthdays now, for
Mrs. Arp and I are both juno bugs.
That is to say am bug and she is a
butterfly l reckon. won't call her
bug though she does june around some
times when things 60 wrong. She had a
birthday last week, and I would tell how
old she is if I was sure she would never
be widow. She thinks would marry
again at the drop Of hat, but declares
she wouldn't and says something about
burnt child dreading the fire. But she
don't mean that I know, and the honest
reason is that she is afraid she never
could find another man like me. It
would take her long time to train
another feller and get him up to any
standard of uxorial docility. A young
man will train but one over thirty won't
train worth cent, and that is the reason
why it is so dangerous for girl of ambi-
tion to marry an old, young man or
widower. The training is on the other
side then, and she had just as we'll sur
render to the inevitable.
We had the birthday and gathered all
the children but one. They were nine of
them here, and some grandchildren and
some friends, and wehad good time. l
saluted Mrs. Arp on her cheek soon in
the morning. She always turns her
cheek to me now, but she dident use to
by no means. I made up her bed for
her, and swept the room and flew around
amazing. We had music and played
cards and went a fishing and eat spring
chickens and buckleberry pie and talked,
and the boys said smart things and told
of exploits and escapes, and their mother
and sisters thought they were the smart
est boys in the world. If a boy sneezes
his mother thinks it smart Mrs. Arp
thinks her boys are an improvement on
the old man but my ambition is for the
girls to be as smart as their mother.
There is no room for improvement on
that line. Not long ago went off and
was gone month. When l came back
I had warm welcome and everything
was calm and serene. 1 Iplayed king and
autocrat for two or three days, and
strutted around with the same consequen.
tail airs I had worn over in Carolina.
But they don't last long at my house,
and now / am in my normal state of
sweet humility. A man must 60 away
from home to put on airs. In fact it is q
good idea for the woman to 60 too some
times just for change. Folks get sorter
common to one another from continuous
presence. Absence may conquer young
love, but it refreshes the old. l know a
lady whose husband is q surgeon in the
navy, and he is generally gone two years
aud stays at home two months when he
comes. "How do you stand it," said L.
"I would just as leave have no husband
at ALL"
"Oh," said she, ~ think it is just
splendid. am so glad to see him when
he comes, and I look forward to it with
so much pleasure. Idon't see what those
wives whose husbands are always with
them have to think about and hope for.
I am sure I would get awful tired of
having man hang around home all the
year round. 1t would be 80 monotonous.
Two months in two years is just about
right, ard besides you know the doctor
sends me plenty of money and that makes
up for his absence"
Well, it does help good deal-money
does-I've noticed that When have
money to spare feel better and more
like gentleman, and it sheds its benign
influence on all around me. A close
observer can tell when I'm in funds by
perusing the family. can tell by my
feelings, my appetite, my hilarity. A
man ought to keep dollar or two in his
pocket all the time, just like be keeps a
buckeye or rabbit foot.
It is fruit time now. There are cher.
ries, and dewberries, and huckleberries,
and raspberries, and mulberries, and the
sugar just flies all the time. Every
morning before breakfast, while Carl is
milking and Jessie is practicing her
music, I pick the raspberries and fill
a tumbler for each Of them 10 take to
school, and 1 sprinkle them all over with
sugar. I go with them as far as the foot
log over the creek, and in the evening [
go to meet them, and we come by the
dcwberry patch and have a good time.
They will think about that walk to school
as long as they live, and it will always be
pleasant memory. They hunt hens
nests and guinea nests when they are at
home, and come to the house with their
hats full Of eggs. We will begin to cut
oats tomorrow, and they will find some
partridge eggs and be happy. School
will be out next week, and then for black
berries to make jam and jelly. They can
pick all day and scratch all night, and
keep fat and healthy. This country life
is just splendid for children. Mix it up
with school and with work and it will
make men and women for State to be
proud of. But you send boy to school
all bis young life, and then to college,
and he won't be tit for hardly anything
above an Office seeker. He will be want.
ing to go to the Legislature before he is