The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-03-27
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Winter Has Lost Its Grip In the Land
of Flowers.
Atlanta Constitution.

duOGuer UOy 10 SolHS away SAnS LII
away for good and we must see him
for a week or two and say goodby.
Our youngest boy, Carl, has got a
place in Mexico on the international
railroad and will leave the paterna]
home the last of the month. 1t is
hard on me, but harder on his mother,
for he has been her idol and her COM
fort and never gave her pain or ankle
ty. Already [ see the CLASSY tears in
her eyes as oft as she thinks about his
going. "What if he gets sick away
off there?" she says. "No one to
nurse him or care for him." and she
turns away her face to hide her tears
''But he will come back once year,
said I. 'NIr. Raoul will let him come.
Wouldent borrow trouble. The best
way is to look upon these separations
from our children as part of the battle
of life. We left our parents, though
we did not 90 so far away. But Mex
leo is not so far as it used to be and it
takes only two or three days to make
the journey and besides it is good
change for the boy. So let him go
pleasantly and don't let him see you
grieve.' -
These sad parting of parents and
children have been going on ever since
I can remember. Thousands Of our
boys have gone to Texas and Arkansas,
leaving their old parents behind.
Thousands of motherly hearts have
been full to overAowing. It is an old,
old story and parents should prepare
themselves for the inevitable. 1t is
very selfish love that would tie boy
to the old homestead when there is a
better field for him abroad. Our life
work is nearly ended, while his is just
begun and he should take the tide of
fortune at its flood and 60 where
brighter prospects loom up before
him.
It looks now like this remarkable
winter has lost its grip upon the new
year and soon the sweet breath of
spring will gladden. this southern land.
Every day is lovely down here now in
Florida and the sick and the we'll are
luxuriating in balmy breezes that come
from the tropics. Yesterday we join
ed sailing party that was projected
for our Dunedin friends and about %
of us landed on Palmetto island some
four miles away and feasted on fish
chowder that was cooked for us there.
I have been to clam bakes in New
England and Brunswick stews and
barbecues in Georgia, but never saw a
fish chowder prepared in royal style
before. Our sail boat towed little
boat along that was laden with fish
and the bread and bacon and potatoes
and onions and lemons and all the
sauces and seasoning necessary. Col
onel Bond, of Marietta, was chief cook
and director general. Young men cut
the wood and built the fire, while Col
onel Bond filled the iron pot with the
Ingredients and soon the sayory odors
filled the air and made the guests
hungry for the tempting dish. For a
while our party wandered up and down
the beautiful beach on the gulf side,
the shells crushing under our feet at
every step and when we returned to
the palmetto grove the cooks ordered
the tablecloths to be spread and all the
culinaries to be gotten ready for the
feast. Rugs and mats were placed
around for the ladies to recline upon,
while palmetto logs gave seats for the
gentlemen. Beat biscuit and butter
and broiled middling and pickles, ct
cetera, were spread out in wild pro.
fusion and then the chowder was
tasted by Colonel Bond and his assis-
tants, then retasted by feminine ame-
teurs and ordered to be cooked and
salted little more.
In course of time there was call
for Observation-Disclosures, and
soon the delicious feast was served in
soup plates and served all around. 1t
was pronounced superb splendid, and
other adjectives too tedious to men
tion, and some had their plates re6lled
but somehow or somewhere else did
not feel as vorashious as / expected to
feel and said to myself, as Mr., Lincoln
said Of the ballet, ''for the folks who
like that sort Of a thing I expect it is
the very sort of thing they do like. "
1t was all my fault, | know, for there
are a good many good things that l
don't relish but other people do, and
a higher cultivation has pronounced
super6ne. I don't like tripe, nor
chitlings, nor raw oysters, nor frogs,
nor snails, nor mushrooms, nor pote
de fol gras, nor turtle, nor shrimps,
nor clam chowder. In fact, [ have a
prejudice against anything named
chowder, and it is all my fault and a
lack of education. But We had glor-
ious day and everybody was happy.
General Parsons and myself were the
veterans of the party, and after dinner
we stole off to the boat and took nap
upon the cushioned seats. The Gen.
eral is from Illinois, genial, kind
considerate gentleman, and tariff
reform democrat. He earned his title
by fighting us and I earned mine by
fighting him, and here we we're sleep
ing side by side in southern waters.
The lion and the lamb laid down to-
gether. The General is now n years
old but carries himself we'll, and every
body likes him, especially his modest
lady-like daughter who is favorite
with our people. I like that-wc all
like that. And We had Colonel Bond
Savannah gentleman but now of
Marietta, who took off his coat and
was master of ceremonies. He has
made fish chowder on Wolfe island for
30 years and was given diploma by
Captain Postell many years ago. Then
there we're Colonel Bonds lovely
daughters, and the beautiful Dunedin
girls and some other maidens with
gushing adjectives and some fair
matrons and some young men who
danced attendance upon the maidens.
I was sitting by very lovely girl in
the boat, when a cheeky young man
by the name of Grady, who was reclin-
ing on the bow, gave sweet and gen
tie whistle and my girl left me, under
false pretcnse, and went to him and
never came back any more. 1t re-
minded me of Burns pretty poem,
tfyty1 1,11 Go~.o W NJ,