Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-07
Nature and Art
THE TOUCH THAT MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD

Bill Arp in the Atlanta Constitution
Nature can beat art sometimes. I've been 70
the theater afore now, and the players acted
the play SO natural and sympathetic that got
all tangled up and excited, and would cry or
laugh just as they did, but nature can beat art
sometimes. Just about sundown the other
evening, while we were all sitting in the
piazza calm and serene, there was a wild shrek
Carl calling, and he said, run here to Linton
Linton Is Killed; run, papa; run somebody,
and we did run, and Mrs. Arp and the girls
cried, Oh, mercyl Oh, good Lord! and all sorts
OF interjections and conJunctions at every step,
and there was wild and fearful panic when
we got to the boy, and he was lying pale and
senseless on the rocky ground, with a big
limb across his breast. He had fallen about
twelve feet from the top OF a venerable apple
about sixty years ago. heaved the old broken
limb OF OF the boy, took him in my arms and
then up the hill to the house. aud my escort ola,
oh my escort, with their cries aud screams, de-
moralized me fearfully. He was a stout lad of
thirteen, this grandson OF ours, and tough
Is pine knot, and knew he was hurt, badly
hurt, but can always keep calm and serene
ON such occasions IL the women will let me.
laying him gently on the bed, Mrs; Arp ripped
his garments with trembling hands and
motheriy sobbings TO find the flowing blood
and the gaping wounds, and broken limits, but
senseless, and breathed hard and gurgled in his
throat, and groaned and sighed, but had seen
those signs before with the other boys and
had faith. And, sure enough, In about
hour he came TO himself, aud looking around
upon the excited family asked what was the
matter and said "Grandma, 1 dreamed was
falling from the apple tree" The doctor came
about that time and found his arm and
shoulder badly bruised ana one rib hurt, per-
haps fractured, and said he would be awful sore
for q day or two, and then get well and be
ready for the next skirmish. But Mrs. Arp
WAS not satisfied, and watched him all night
and as he slept she listened TO his breathing
and felt his pulse and imagined that some
thing was internally wrong. The boy carries
his arm in handkerchief now, and can't go
In washing nor shoot . sling nor climb q
tree, and he and Carl have to stay in the house
and read story books ana look at the pictures
But the like OF this has TO happen. IL Is part Of
Q boys raising. wasent much account I'M
til tell down q ladder head foremost and was
picked up for dead. told my wife wouldent
give q cent for q boy who had never Tell
out OF an apple tree or got his arm broke
his head gashed or something OF the
kind. II q man has never had any narrow
escapes, or any wounds, or any broken bones,
or been thrown from q horse and picked up for
dead, what kind of father will he BET
What has he got to tell his little boy, and ex-
cite his wonder aud admiration? had lots Of
mishaps myself and as grow older Mrs. Arp
says they grow more bigger and more numerous.
Well, OF course! Nobody wants TO tell the same
old thing the same old way thousand times
Ampliication is q sign OF genius. Being
knocked down and added, is big thing; but
TO be picked up for dead is heroic.