The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-30
LETTERS AND MESSAGES,

LETTERS AND MESSAGES,
Bill Apps Advice to Wandering Boys-The
Cheapness and Ouickness of the Mail
Service.
I was Illuminating upon the Presi-
dents message and have come to the
conclusion that perhaps I am the only
reading man in all the country who
does not understand the question. The
trouble is I read both sides and have
got all tangled up. If man wishes to
preserv> lis peace of mind and his self
conceit he should read only one side of
politics or religion. This may make
him wrong in his path, but he is more
contented and more jealous. He can
just rip around and raise Cain in politics
and he can go it blind for his church
and his preacher. An intelligent friend
who is just from Washington told me
yesterday that Mr.. Cleveland was the
grand impersonation of the National
Government; that be was greater than
parties or platforms and would run the
machine independent of all restraints.
eff" be said, "Grover Cleveland should
die tomorrow the country would 20 to
ruin in thirty days" Another friend
said the message was an abortion and
Mr.. Cleveland was a huge mistake
the most overrated man in the na-
ton.
But I am not going to worry about it.
If there are not enough brains among
the statesmen at Washington to fix up
this money business I can't help it. So
let it rip. I read the message on my
way home from the postoffice and when
I reached the piazza where Mrs. Arp
was sitting I said:
"Here is letter. message from
the President, would you like to read
it,"
NO." she said. Ibid you bring me
any letters from the boys?'
"None," said I.
II am afraid they are SICK" she said.
"They haven't written for three or four
weeks. They never write when they
are sick"
There it is. A letter from son or
I daughter who is far away is a bigger
thing to a mother than Grover Cleve-
lands message. Everywhere all over
the land the "old folks at home" are
waiting for letters from their absent
children. have seen them sitting on
the piazza or by the fireside with a
shade Of sadness on their faces and as
they look dreamily away I know what
they are thinking about. There is
nothing sadder in life than the separ-
alton of aged parents from their chill
dren. DR.. Samuel Johnson said: II
have always looked upon it as the
worst condition of mans destiny that
most persons are torn asunder just as
they become happy in each others So
ciety."
If this he true concerning the friends
and companions Of our youth, how
much more touchingly does apply to
the aged one whose children have re-
| moved far away from the old home
stead. Love and memory is about all
their earthly capital and from day to
day and week to week they look for let
ters-kind letters, loving letters from
the absent ones whom perhaps they
will never see again, but hope to meet
l-yes, hope to meet-on the other
side.
Letters from the children are the next
best thing to their presence, and the
children ought to write them-write
them often-write regularly. While /
was Illuminating about this [ heard the
sweet strains of that pretty song, 81
Sent Letter tc My Love-" and then I
| got to thinking what blessed contri-
vance these letters were, the daily mail,
:. the government post, the swift mes
| sepger that like Mercury speed over sea
and land to comfort US. Memory went
back to the time when I was away
from home for long, long year and
how happy was when letter came
letter from home, especially when
there was little money in it. Heard
a college boy say the other day that q
letter from home with money in it WIS
the best letter and the best money in
the world. Parents are sure to write
them and to send little money when
they can, and so when the parents
grow old and feeble the children should
pay them back and let no sad memories
make furrows on their brow. would
plead with the boys everywhere to
comfort their old mothers with kind
and,loying letters-the good old moth
,ers who have petted them and nursed
them and comforted them and took
their part in all their troubles-never
let mother feel the truth Of the pro-
verb, How sharper than serpent's
tooth it is to have thankless child" I
have heard of boys going away to the
far West to seek their fortune and not
writing line back home for years. 1
have seen aged parents who had not