The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-06-04
BILL ARP'S CHAT.
The Candy-Pullips Mrs. Arp gave to the
Little Children.
atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
whats all this rumpus about?" |
came home to dinner and found the house
full and yard full Of children-grandchil.
dfen and other children. "Oh, nothing
much," said Mrs. Arp. "Ipromised them
a little party and they have come over to
spend the day and brought some little
friends with them.''
"Well, but these door.knobs are all
stuck up with candy" eyes, they had
a candy-pulling, and, I expect, have
messed up things just like children will.
I will wipe off the door-knobs."
"Well, but here I've gone and set down
on lump of it in this chair"
Mrs. Arp smiled and said: "Well,
there's the washboard and a rag"
I meandered out in the piazza, and
found candy knee deep in everything.
The chaps were in the backyard cooking
dinner on little brick furnace they had
built. Some were toting water and some
bringing wood, and they had potatoes
and rice and eggs and butter and pepper
and everything they could beg from the
cook. The waterspout was running all
over everything. I stopped that part of
it and surrendered to the rest, and retired
to my accustomed seat at the desk.
"Who has been here projecting with
my pens and letter pads, and turned over
my inkstand and messed up my papers ?'
"Oh, don't reckon they have hurt
anything. Rosa wanted to show 1ne how
she was learning to write. There was
very little ink in the stand. I wiped off
all the split"
Igot up and walked in the garden as
King Ahasuerus did to let my choler
down, and I found where they had been
picking peas, and broke the twine that
held the vine up-I always stick my peas
with twine, and so came out of the gar
den to let my choler down somewhere else.
I looked all round for the children to give
them blessing, but they had become
alarmed, for Mrs. Arp had told them to
run and hide. "I'll wear them out, "lsaid
I. "1'll wear them all out, big and little,
old and young. Pm awfully mad. I'm
as mad as mad bull. Broke down my
pea vines p and I Knocked bull and
paved dirt. The chaps had run up the
ladder and got on the shed roof of the
house and as pranced and beloved
around the house they smothered their
laughter until I was out of sight and then
turned loose in full chorus. I found the
buggy pulled out of the shed and the
whip gone and the calf Was tied up in the
back lot with saddle on, SO I took my
seat in the front piazza and put my feet
on the railings and ruminated. My
thoug hts carried me away back to my
childhood when took delight in such
things, and the whole picture came before
me like the turning Of kaleidoscope.
What pity that folks can't always be as
happy as when they are children. About
this time Mrs. Arp came out with bun
die of stuff and remarked that she brought
home some pinks and chrysanthemums
that must be planted out. "Are you do.
ing anything" said she. II am rumina-
ting" said /, solemnly. "Well, you had
better ruminate around for the garden
hoe, and I'll help you put them out
your back needs exercise"
was picking peas the other morning,
and as they were of the low kind, I had
to bend over smartly, and By and by
when I tried to straighten up, 1 couldent
straighten. There was hitch and a
pain in my veins, the same old trouble I
had once before when I worked in the
water half a day damming up the branch
to make a washhole for the childreu-so
hurried from the garden to the house
half bent, and made my usual fuss for
help and sympathy. I was down for two
days, and took medicine and chicken
soup, and they put a bellydona plaster on
my back as big as letter pad, and it is
there yet, and I'm not we'll by long shot,
but my folks seem to think / anu. If I
get up and creep to town they put me to
work as soon as I get back. l used to
have boys of all sorts and sizes to wait
upon me and do my bidding, but they
have all grown up and left me but one,
and he is at school, and when be isn't he
is off at baseball or tennis, or pic
nicing around. am the boy now-the
waiting boy.
was ruminating, but found the hoe
and dug around according to orders.
Last night at the supper table Mrs Arp
remarked as she was making the coffee
that to-day was another anniversary. ]
thought she meant birthday, for they
seem to come about once a week in the
family, and she always wants to make a
little present of some sort-a spoon OF
napkin ring or sleeve buttons, or some
thing. I tell you what is a fact-where
there are ten or dozen children in q
family to start on and they grow up and
get married and multiply and replenish,
and the posterity keeps on getting "more
thicker, more denser," as Cabe says, and
the maternal ancestor is a large. hearted
woman, these birthday gifts and we'd
ding presents will keep the old mans
surplus down as effectually as the Re
publican party keeps it down in the Uni.
ted States treasury. 1t is the easiest thing
in the world. I never saw mother with
numerous flock of lovely ofsprings buI
what she wanted big house and bush.
ell of money. Ny wife is always scratch
ing around hunting up something for the
i L :.