The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-09-05
BILL ARP.
Bill Arp Pays a Visit to an Old Friend ant
Finds Everybody Smiling.
Atlanta Constitution.

IL QOe5 look ilke tn6 IaIUltT ouSut "
be happy. They made the best wheat
crop that has been made for years, and
now the fields are heavy with corn and
soon will be white with cotton. The
cs,ttle are all fat and such fruit crop
was never known in Georgia. | reckon
they are happy, for they are having pic.
MICS and barbecues all about and reunions
among the soldiers, and the catip meet
ings have Begin early and will keep on
till cotton picking time. The Farmers
club and the Alliance men seem to be
masters of the situation financially, re-;
ligiously and practically.
a prosperous farmer is to be envied.
The other day my wife and I were invited
out to my friend Billy Hoods to eat
grapes and melons, and ne went. He
lives at the foot Of the mountain, tHo
miles from town, ind We found the front
yard swept out, and the back yard, too,
and the water pail and wash pan had been
secured, and the children had put on
clean clothes, and everything was in
apple pie order, for that is the way coun.
try folks do when town folks are coming
to see them. We know all about that.
But it is rather embarrassing when town
company takes them unawares on wash
day or cleaning up day. remember on
one occasion my wife could hardly get
one ofthe girls to 50 to the door, and, when
she did 20 she opened it and got behind
it and asked the company to walk into
the parlor until she could change her
garments.
Billy Hood is my ideal of old Argur's
prayer, "give me neither poverty nor
riches" BE is just comfortable and mas
to work hard to keep SO. He is always
cheerful and 30 are his wife and children.
His good old mother lives not far away,
and his married daughter is in
sight. He lives i'll d cottage that is
shaded by some large oak trees. The
we'll with its old oaken bucket is in the
back yard and the garden aud orchard
are near at hand. Chickens of all sizes
are meandering around, and the ash
hopper and the dairy and the cider press
show signs of clean things and good
things. There is nothing fine enough to
be afraid of-nothing poor enough to
excite your sympathy-e everything is
comfortable and that is all.
"I said if there's peace to be found in The
world
A heart that was humble might hope for
it here.'
Billy Hood was good soldier in the
war and he is good farmer in peace.
He always has his premium aero in cotton
and in corn. I think that he can safely
count on two bales of the one and sixty
bushels of the other this year, and his
crop is nearly as good. He is a good
citizen and never grumbles about his
taxes or having to work the roads. He
is good Christian and he always pays
his full part to the preacher on the first
day of every month. What if the world
was full of such families, such fathers and
mothers and children.
'Their best companions, innocence and
health,
Their lest riches ignorance of wealth,
How blest is he who crowns in shades
like these
A youth of labor with an age of ease."
Beautiful, lusciousgrapes lined the gar.
den fence on every side. I began at the
gate and eat all,t way round, and after
a brief interval I had to sample the
melons, and in course of time a few pears
and peaches were packed, on top and then
the cider was brought forward to make
the repast complete.
But 7 got home safe, and as We had
had only a lunch for dinner the girls had
prepared an extra good supper with a
green corn pudding attachment. When
the doctor left me next day he thought I
was asleep, but heard him whisper to
my wife that he thought there was 8
chance for me to pull through, for my
constitution was good one, considering
how I had imposed upon it. Many
inquiring friends called to see me, and
while the morphine was working l
thought I heard somebody say that the
hearse had come, and clutched the
sheet to see if I was really 10 coffin.
It took me about q week 10 get straight
again, but there is some good with the
bad. found that I had more friends
than knew Of, and / have received lots
of congratulations, especially from the
agent who insured my life.
Now Billy Hood is just common man
with enough education to serve all his
purposes. He reads the Bible and his
newspapers and the Sunday school books
and no modern trash, and is content
What does he want with more? Some
times think the world is on 8 craze
about education, high education, cla~aical
education. It is said that Georgia heads
the list of ilIiteracy. Well, that is bad ]
know, but Massachusetts heads the list ot
crime, and that is worse. If some of oul
people can't read and write, they are good
citizens. Education is not guarantee
for good citizenship. Right now the
overcrowding of the learned profession is
giving trouble in Germany. Their press
is discussing the matter very seriously
and trying. to fnd'a remedy. Too much
education they say, and it is breeding
discomfort and socialism among the
graduates who can't find employment tt