The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-02-07
BILL ARP.
The Dignity OF Old Age and Sweet LIMO
oeuce of Childhood.
atlanta Cb,sth,Nion.

4
"Can't teach an old dog new tricks"
1t is right hard for old folks to catch on
to new contrivances, and harder still to
adopt them. 7 would fall into line if I
could, but habits are like chains-they
hold US and ne are not happy when fore
ed out of the grooves. Some of the new
ways and methods are better than the
old ones and I have no prejudice against
sensible Improvements, but if they inter.
fere with habits that have got to be a
part .ofa.my daily 3life:I want to be
excused-a lam excused. The young
people are very kind about this and let
the old folks have their own:way. Old
age has.its.pri7ileges. It is blessed
thing to grow old and be respected and
honored and humored. The very old
and the very young are'th light and the
hope, of the world. The dignity and
wisdom Of age and the innocence Of
childhood are the best features of life.
Take away these and what would become
of us? It is the intermediate stage that
is the dangerous one-dangerous Of good
morals, good principles, good manners,
good conduct The greatest alarm ne
feel for the young people Of this genera.
tion is the lack of principle-good old
fashioned principle the lack of maidenly
modesty in the girls and honest industry
in the young men. The average society
girl,issnot fit to be-a, wife. She has been
engaged 80 many times and been fondled
I.and handled by so many pretended
lovers that her maidenly modesty is gone.
Ia friend told me the other day that he
heard a young man say; he could kiss half
the girls inthat town whenever he want.
ed to. aWhy, I thought you were eDgag-
ed ~ said my friend. mo" said he, II
was, but found out the other fellera
were taking Liberties with my girl and ]
pulled out" Society marriages now.a-
days are not for love-that pure, innocent,
devoted love that mated our fathers
and mothers They are generally for
money or family influence. There is no
Jacob and Rache! about it, and so the
happiness of that union is not by the
freside, but away from it,. To the wife
it lis in parties and balls and shopping
and visiting To the husband it is the
|Iclub Or the counting room or the cotton
exchange or something worse. The 30.
ciety maniwill; marry for money. He
does not care how many lovers she has
had, nor how many engagement she has
broken nor how many lips have slobbered
on her nor how many arms have embrac-
ed her. I read the other day of a divorce
suit between a couple in high life and the
ground for separation was .that.the wife
would not return the rings and souvenirs
that former lovers had given.her. There
seems to be no business principles among
our young men no inclination to work
to begin at the bottom and work up, but
rather get something for nothing and get
it quick. Lottery tickets, cotton futures;
gaming or to marry rich, is the idea.
The millionaires who have made their
fortunes by speculation have set them
the example and these methods are ap-
proved and endorsed by society and the
church. IF q man makes hundred
thousand dollars by cotton futures, or
concerning the meat or the bread Of the
country, }, it is alright provided he gives
asthousand OF SO to the church. i know;
Just such man who never earned an
honest dollar in his life made president
l-of the z. M. GA. No millionaire ever
earned his money. He may have Inherit
ed it, OF it may have come by some ac-
cident of fortune, but he never earned it.
It can't be DONE. It is impossible. No
man can earn million dollars, These
great fortunes have been made by force
or fraud, and made atlthe'expense of the
people. The real value of meat, or
wheat, OF cotton or sugar, is not increased
BY q rise in the price. When sugar is
seven cents pound and is, suddenly
cornered up to eight cents it is the same
as robbing the consumer of cent ,on
I every pound. But this is an old story-a
chesnut. I Idon't care SO much about the
cent a pound, but the example is so bad
to our young men, when they see esaimil.
lionaire riding over the country in his
private car and pufed up and bloated
with surplus. money, and the newspapers
!. make much ado over his arrival. and
speak of him as brilliant exampler o!
enterprise and sagacity, and call him,a
: commercial king, and all that, the young
!, man. who is clerking at fifty dollars {
): month, sighs and wonders if he CAM
find some nearer cut to fortune, and be
buys lottery ticket-its only two dollars
and half--or be slips round to the cottoI