The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-07-13
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
HE EDIsCOURsES UPON THE SUB
JECT OF BABIES.

40 Is Much Pleased that Womankind
Love Them so Much.
That was . pretty Persian rhyme which
said:
"a newborn child lay crying
While all around were smiling;
An aged man was dying
And peacefully was smiling
While all around were crying"
Sir William Jones put it in better verse:
"On parent knees, a naked newborn child
Law weeping, while all around 1t smiled
So live that, sinking in thy last long sleep
Calm thou mayest smile VII le all around thee
weep"
What is more wonderful or more beautiful
than the maternal instinct-what an attraction
does q birth in the family have for all the sex,
the women and children, girl children mean,
the men and the boys show no great concern
The babes would have hard an perllous time
i entrusted to them. Babes are born every
day. every hour, by the thousand. 1t Is the
most common and universal event that con-
Germs our humanity. 1t is more common than
L.,
out it every year, and yet the excitement OF
birth goes on and is q big thing with matrons
and with maids. For few days past have sat
In my veranda and ruminated, for the women
come and 20 and the ne:ghbor' send flowers
and kind messages and the girl ch ldren come
to see the baby, and the tiniest one wants to
hold 1t in her arms Verify, it looks like this
was the first and the lastone that ever was born.
The three great events Of our life, our birth
and marriage and death, are ministered to
by woman. What sad affair would either be
without her presence, her care and sympathy.
The wonder Is that she can 60 through the Or
deal that Providence Las assigned her, and DO
30 coptented, 60 calm and serene. What moth
or ever harbors gloomy fears or forebodings
about her infant child? How hopefully they
look upon the future, how happy in the love OF
her offspring. The poet says:
CA mother is mother still"
The hoiest thing alive"
And she is. I wish that I was as good, as
true and as loving as the average mother IN
this land I wish that was as sure Of heaven.
Most Of them have child up there, and they
still treasure every smile, every dimple, every
song, and in their waking dreams realize what
the poet so beautifully said:
"Oh, when mother meets on high
The babe she lost in infancy,
Hath she not then for pains and fears,
The day of woe, the watchful night,
For all her sorrows, all her tears
An overpsyment Of dehght?"
The maternal instinct! The never fading
love Of children My wife Is serenely happy
now for there is another child to look after,
and she moves around with her old alacr1ty.
used to help her with her own, but my time is
out. As old man Calder said after the first
battle of Manassas, 81 have ft enough" I
used to tote the little chap around the room
sometimes half the night and sing my little
song until wore it out, sad at times felt Like
the tired parent who hugsed his little boy to
his bosom and said: sI wouldn't take mil
lion dollars for you-no I wouldn't-but /
wouldn't give nickel for another" 1t Is
q weary business nursing and caring for
. little child. But it is part Of the
bargain, and has to be done, and 1t has
its rewards The more the father helps with
tho children tho better he loves them and
the more they love him. The country peo-
ple. as q rule, have no nurses for their children
except the members OF the family and their
devotion to the little help ess ones is beautiful.
The baby in country home is common prop
erty, All nurse it and the father does his
share when he comes from the field. Go to
country church on Sunday and see how many
fathers are not ashamed to "tote the child"
and keep it while preaching is going on. Why
shouldn't he? 1t shows his love to the child
and his loyalty to his wife. The average
farmer has not very wide field for his smol-
ton. BE is not seeking fame or Office or
riches. he has NO longings for gong to New
York or Washington or crossing the ocean. his
hope and desire is limited to his family and his
farm, and he Looks to God for rain and sun
shine. There is nothing that weans him from
his wife and children or that gets between hlm
and then. Sometimes he takes the fanny 70
town in the big wagon, and sometimes the chill
dren 20 with him to the mill, and en- Sunoays
sll go to meeting, apd 80 the weeks and months
roll on proving the truth OF the poets lines
"Happy the man whose wish and care
4 few paternal acres bound"
It is given to but few men in this world to do
sny great thing but all csn be happy il they
will be content With their humble lot. l used
to envy the rich and great, but l do not now.
As general rule grief aud sorrow are the per-
ouisites of riches an of fame. Great men are
rarely blessed with loving children. Not long
ago one of our nrblcst men found himself face
to face at Demon cos with drunken son. His
modification was intense and the lines OF
trouble still lnGer Oh his face. The pressure
of public affairs aud constant struggle to
keep up socially and politically consumed the
time that should have been devoted to his
children. In snch ca'cs the mother Is their
only saf euarl. She may do all she can, but
she cannot wa'ch her boys wien they get IN
their teens. She can we anil pray and chIde,
bnt still they will ray away. 1t ls p!tuul 10
zee the breaking If mothers heart over . son
who is on trial Ter his life. How closely does
she cling to h m when all the world is against
him. remember ono, a widow who sold hei
cow and her little furniture and then went from
store to store begging fo a little more money
| TO take her to Arkansas to see her son VINO Was
in iail for murder. Her devotion saved h!s
life. but not his liberty. and she was thankful.
| for she found some work near BY and coulo
visit him in his prison and comfort hin wltn
her love and blessing. What an awful thing
it must be to have no one to love you, and ye,
there are thousands Of such in the prisons o'
the land. Nothing was so touching IN Cover
| nor Atkinsons afliction than his respite OF
man who was to be hung-his tender though
! while on the brink Of the grave or poo
wretch who was begging for his LIE. Dar
Voorhees, once hurried to distant state 10 oe
fend young man accused OF murder, and az
saved him for his widowed mothers sake, be
cause her father had been good to him Wnen n
was Young and poor. If we men do not nav!
love in our hearts like 8 mothers, we honoE ]
and respect it and admire it all the more.
ARp IN Atlanta Constitution.
aPS O,LEARY DEAD.