The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-04-26
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
BALMY SPRING SETS HIM TO Ru.
MINATING.
Scepes and Experiences OF 1896 viz.
Idly Recalled.

was runinating about the return Of sprins.
s blessed pieaufe to st in the piazza
and look out upon nature that 10 now budding
decking herself with flowers like . Man Dsy
queen Natnre's beauty costs nothing and n
the ioyeliest OF AL. ! like things that cost
pothing-no money, no labor nor ,oil-sut my
wife likes some that require work, and there's
nobody here but me. She says that nature
oant put on new clothes until the old opes are
removed, and 20 have to rake up the leaves
row, and The flower beds had 10 be renewed
and fertilizcd md the oil vines torn down from
She trellsses and the Iubs and verbeuss and
ssr.n'ums brought out OF the greenhouses and
may swap work by digging in the gard. n, aud
90 she manages to keep me busy and all get
nttie praise now and then II 1t wasent for
ner don reckon would do much Of anything
but sit around snd ruminat~.
I've got beautiful gar den and am d. oud OF
H. Tor am hoi ny-ha nded son OF toll. have
eight long rows Of strawberries that are full Of
Tuit. We thought II was cold enough lss, night
70 make frost. and 30, to save my beam my
daughter pasted lot Of newspapers tog, thcr
In n long roll and then unrollrd IL over he
bean rows and fastened il down with few
stones and told the weRt her TO frost IL il want.
ed ~. Newspapers are COOL a. n blanket,
and 1t takes but little while 10 paste them to.
gether My wife saws an, a good worker when
get at it. That's all she rays. bu. know
what she mcaRs.
We were both Eliminating about spring and
the time TO decorate the grave. and ab ,ut the
anniversary Of The surrender. for about this
time thirty years ago there was.tr 'nbe IN this
country-thiB south rn country. The war was
over, but there wa not very much peace.
There was more fear than reac fear
Of ls~lessness ~ home and oppression from uur
conqueron. And ther u fear Of suffering,
Tor there was but little coru and no met from
the at years crop There were widows and
children all over the land hu' there wore no
cattle, no sheep nor hogs and Int few chick
ems. The returning solder brought back
some sore-'nck mules but there was nothing
to feed them on. While tn: northern soldiers
went home in triumph, singing songs of victo-
~ about md ching through Georgia. the
aeorSi" Boys were browsing the mules on the
coming grass and digging up their Old plow
stocks and pat. hing the gear with
hickory bark. But the long war was over and
that was enongh. The boys had got back 70
home and freside an I said they could eat roots
and drink branch water aud be happy. Not all
tho boys had got back, for there were ihous-
ands in federal prisons and il took time snd
red tape to reicas" th' m. After they were dis
charged It took time and charity 10 get th,m
nome, Ior 'ney Dad no money And nsd to beg OF
work their way. On Every road these returning
soldiers came. 1t WAS a picture too big for Q
painter, or else it would have been painted long
ago: The return OF the boys in gray" un.
shaved nnwashed, unkempt, they p.odded
along from day 10 day. weary and hungry and
fo"tsore, but homeward bonnd, most, Of them
TO humble, 'untry cottages, where perhap,
loved IacnibHf az the family. Even ihe doc
thai used to bark dead. The COW was
gone. for Shermans burners had taken her,
but there were few potatoes in the hill and Q
few chickens left and a little meal that had
been hidden from the scouts. I bought the
only Cow that was for sale in our county. and
she had been md oui in a csnebrsbe. j gave
tlO in gold for five bushels OF corn away down
in Alabama. had it hidden at old Rowland
B.yants, down the river and he had it ground
At naborlng mill by night and brought ma
haif bushei ~ time secreted under the g. III
OF his old buggy. There six children then
At our house, and they were hungry. We never
thonSht OF mest or sugar or coffee. Bread aud
milk and soIe hum were good enough for any
body. Bat there was no repining. The fam.
NV VIA reunited and at houie and that was the
big thing Poverty was nothing in compari.
son. The war We over and our people were
ssd ana they wore glad. 1t had been virtually
oven tor several mou hs ard the soldiers hn.v
IL and had got somewhat reconcied, and home
suG vie and children were on their hearts
Ih'n, there were the re urn,ng refugees whom
Shermtn had driven from the line Of his march
to ii" sea: H. sheled the woods before him
and they fed. There were TO Zee but old
men "ni women and children. He burned
their !owns and seized their stock and ordered
th'n to 'Slt. for he was going to make Wal
horrible and he did it, Such desols,ed
co n,ry FOR thirty miles in width has not been
III centuries.
= al my wife looked away OF dreamiy and
Yes. It is pretty near the anniversary Of
'hh.tC mp from fIolne. ThRt was early
Y. 1864, and you had beautiful garden
\ md We had green peas for dinner and
\ .rries and cream for supper" 'Y.s,'
and about midnight when we got the
wa ]. we tork the children from their beds
an'h nhbIeh them into the little rockaway and
weni rolling down the street towards the Eto.
wall br'dr" 10 sc away from the shells that
~oio Sizing aud twisting in the air. Then W
got tangled mp with our retreatipg army and
il was almost daybreak before Ue creased g..
bridge. We hurried mp the long hill BY the
light OF the 90. tsnauls bridge that wss burn.
Ing, and away wo W. mt on n long trot until W
got TO Chambers mill, and stopped to rss<
and Tip-the faithful Tip--msde ars on the
side of the rOad and boiled us some coffee and
~ drank it and gave the children some bread
and meat and away we went again. for almost
every moment some stray horseTpan would gal
iop by as andssy, Hurry up Hurry up! The
yankee. have got across he rlver aud are COM
ing on Oh, 1t VS. an awful time"
let her rest and ruminate awhile and then
rho SAID: 1T was AlnC sl AZ bad when we j,ur-