The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-10-10
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Arp on Happiness.
atlanta Constitution.

Wueu ulc anu LILY WllC VI my mlAC Shu
I had raised our ten children and
turned them loose We would have a
rest and our remaining days would all
be calm and serene. But these grand
children keep coming on and every
new one that comes has to have sill
yer cup or silver spoon or something
by way of remembrance. 1t used to
be cups, but it has got down to spoons
now and I reckon will get down to
safety pins after while. My wife is a
maternal ancestor and is proud Of her
grandchildren and these little memen-
tos have got to come, money or no
money. And there are the birthdays
that keep on multiplying and she
knows every one and wants something
for them. "Just little something, "
she whispers as she follows me to the
door. 1t is these little something's
that keep me on a strain, but I'm 60
ing to keep on that line as long as I
can. She has been telling me for a
month that'I ought to have new suit
Of clothes, especially as there was a
wedding to come off in the family very
soon and I would have to escort the
bride adown the long drawn aisle in
the presence Of a multitude. And so
I tried the clothing stores in Atlanta
for "a suit with the tariff off, but I
didn't find it. That kind hasn come
yet, and so I shall brush up my old
ones for the occasion. Nobody is
going to look at me nohow, for there
are to be ten beautiful bridesmaids
and as many groomsmen and Church
full of witnesses and the wedding
march is to be played, and / could
just drop out of it and never be missed.
But did buy my wife silk wedding
dress and she is as proud as she was at
sweet sixteen, when she stood up by
me with her Augusta clothes on. She
didn't have bit one bridesmaid,
either, and there wasn't much fuss
made over it. There were no presents
at all, but few days after we went to
housekeeping seven likely darkies
came tramping up to the house and
sat down on the front steps until |
came from the store. My pretty
young wife was sitting at the window
pretending to sew. She had a mis-
chievous smile on her face as / stop
ped in front of the smiling darkies.
''What are you all doing here said I.
"What have you come after, Tip
you and Mary and all ?" And Tip
said: cold master sent us up here TO
Miss Octavy and she tole us to sot
down here till you come. Old master
tole us we all belong to you and Miss
Octavy now.
Well, never felt as helpless in my
life. What to do with them I didn't
know. I had no plantation and no
negro houses and it never occurred to
me that I could hire them out. So
after consultation me and my wife or
my wife and I sent them all back ex-
cept Tip and Mary and begged the old
gentleman to keep them until later.
lie enjoyed the joke and said he only
wanted to make a delivery Of them,
for they had long declared that when
Miss Octavy got married they were
"gwine wid her.
No, we didn't have our share Of
wedding. My wife cost me just sll.50
$40 to old Brother Patterson, the
preacher, and a dollar and half for
the license. Cheap, tell you. A
good wife is the cheapest thing in the
world, for she has done been raised
and clothed and schooled when you
get her. Old Jacob had to work four
teen years for the grill loved, but he
got some of that back by cheating old
man Labon in the cattle trade. But
nowadays a wedding costs as much as
a funeral-costs old folks I mean.
From the way things are going on at
my house it looks like the whole
family are to be married, even down
to the little granddaughters, who are
to be dressed up as cherubs and min
gle with the angels. 1t takes dry
goods and lace amazing. And the
kinfolks are coming and some dear
friends, and all have to come in bridal
array, and the cake baking business
has begun and old Aunt Ann is as
much excited as if she was to be mar
ried, too, and declares that "nobody's
cake amt gwine ter beat her cake.
The house has been swept and gar
nished-not cobweb or speck in it.
The rooms in the cabin have been
cleaned and carpeted, and for while
one of them was assigned to me, but l
am ruled out now and will have to
hang up somewhere or sleep on the
hay in the barn. 1t is mighty big
thing, I tell you, for our baby girl is
going to step off and leave us-going
after young man who is no kin to
her and never did anything for her but
give her ring and a book and some
French candy now and then. But it
is all right and according to nature and
we can die more happily if the girls
are happily married before we go.
But our time will come yet if we live
four years longer. We will have a
golden wedding-no silver in ours.
We are for the gold standard rig ght
now in advance. Just a gold dollar
from each of our friends will do, for
we are goldolaters nowin anticipation.
We don't want to break nobody.
These silver wedding presents from
the generous donors are mighty nice
and highly appreciated by the happy
donees, but they give the old folks fits
Il mean the paternal ancestors who
have to foot the bills. If an old man
has popular son or daughter who has
to play bridesmaid or groomsman to
somebody three or four times year
it as aggravating as town taxes. L
know handsome bachelor over in
Rome who died insolyent, and it was
making wedding presents that broke
him. He wanted to marry to get out
of the business, but couldn't make up
his mind, and all his set Of girls mar
ried while he was making up his mind
and he had to give every one a beau
tiful present. At last he died and not
one Of those girls went to his funeral
But tits the fashion nowadays to make
wedding presents, and it is all rig ht if
IL u.1I., ~, ,oJ 1on't ctro n