The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-03-29
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
OUR DAYS OF HAPPINESS SEEM
TO BE FEW,
And Neglect of Worthy Deeds Make
Them Less.

now many happy days does the average man
or woman sec in yesif Suppose we take
famly-R man aud his wife and half q dozen
oh'idren-how many rea happy days do thev
see, not counting children under twelve years?
was discourslng my friel McCay about it
and he said that while iihv ling in Eurore
with his wife and three cl, .dren, bel ween if-
teen and twenty -one, he made q bargain with
himself and them TO keep tally sheet and give
each ne a biack mark who in any way marred
The happiness Of the family or any memb. OF
II duilng the dav. The proposition was read
lly assented 10 10y every one and the rules laid
down were that nu unkind word be spoken by
one To another-that there should be no COM
planning about things that could not he avoided
or that could ,e nmedied by tn, mselves-po
iauit finding IN "a Querulous way, no tardiness
III coming to meals no delay in getting ready
ior chui ch or for the cars or the diligence OF
any journey! no forgetting aud having TO 20
hDch or senG back after it, NY friend, the
pater famlias. was TO be the Judge of any in
hacti'u Of 'hcse rules and if he broke any one
OF ia IN himself h's wife should b. tie judge.
Now, SAID he, I'VE kept that tally sheet
fan and square Tor I20 days and have it now
put away as II keepsake How many days do
you suppose passed in those four months
Without mark Guess how many?" Did
the mark of one mark the whole dHyi" iu-
CURED. "Oh. yes, Of course, said he. "The
ofense or neglect Of one member of u family
en- cts the happiness Of all. don't me an that
1t destroys the peace of ali, but it mars their
per !ec; happiness o. course it Is lawful
and permissible for the wife or the daughter
TO forget her parasul or her gloves or some
message she wishcs to leave TO the
servant, and this for minute
stops the procession. bnt II must be
admitted that it wonld hnve been better. lit
tic better, had she not iorgot,en and SO the
black mark had to CONE Were YOU keep
inS house or boarding daring this time" ga d
!. Boarding SAID lie. Ind visiting from
place to place. "No little children 70 tear
their clothes or stump tueir toes OF blow their
Dosei None, said he. mo servant Dinah
to break the ch'nA2 No neiGhbors COW or long
nose SOW to raise u ROW. Nc dun. or debts 10
make You fret? ''N"ne." said lie. "wel you
ought 10 huvr had about ,W days OF the 100"
sad !! Well" said my friend, solemuly I'VE
didtnt have but fuur--only four, and be-
leve HAT my wife aud my children are better
thsp the average. Int III spite OF ourselves
there was something went wrong almost every
day. Suppose you try II at your house?"
Don't think will raid !. Il have 80 long
enjoyed these .it:!e mi,eirs that ] am afraid
would be unhappy without them 1t is IN
reasonable TO expect heaven In this sublur ary
hte. My hab u are fixed and I'm too old 10
little mseries that I'm afraid ! would be good
experiment for young people TO make. The
poet sa,s:
Count tia, day lo,t whose lew. dcsoepd!ng
sun
Sees from Thy hand no worthy action done"
The nor worthy actiops the more hatpi-
ness. century or 81 ago there lived very
wcnI'hy lord vii" had several tEOusA nd poor
tcnSris Oh his lands, uuG every Christmas he
offered to give every man and wife
dIlCh Ui uacou who wuuid come before
HIM and so., nIny declare they had not suid an
unklnd word to each o:htr during the yea-
Aud they were &c be confirmed III ;Lcir state
mcut by some proot from their neirhhors
Christmas morning brought EIost all these
poor tenants 70 the great hall where the lord
held h!N court. Some c,me 10 claim the fitch,
but mere came ont Of curiosity to see man
10. trl. had ,l.If fyr
fitch o! bacon-Nel cured hacon-was big
thing to II POOR peasant, for none were allowed
to rn \" hogs and so rome OF The tenants didn't
mind dcccIvIDg the Old lord 10 get it. But he
WAS very chr wd an! examined them like
lawyer wonld do an for Y, urs and years caught
them III heir stories and NOBODY got any ba-
con. AT last one old conple came who stood
tie tsst and gave thc proof and the old lord
gave judgment III their favor and there was
great shout among the people and they took
the old ni,n and his VIE upon then shoulders
am carried them Gil around the castle singing
and shouilnr as they marched along. The
story goes tI.at for huudi Cd years rhis Gus
tom WAS Kept NJ among the Old lords' descend
ants and no couple ever got the bacon
those who had teen married ut least thirty
y"rr-. md very few Of them Ii takes man
AMI wife long time to assm.iate and become
perfectly reconc.ltd 10 each other. Some don't
quarrel but ihev pOnt, and that IL the worst
sort oi quarreling. /, doesn't disturb their
n"ichhrrs r'nt II - like frnere' ia ths hnnse
How very. very sad is the room
VIII re love, domestic love, no longer nes,les."
Thcn it il that the man takes 70 drink or to
the clubhouse and the woman tu morphine
Ny wife Ia. k II notion few days ago to run
over Il Tampa with Young lady friend ss her
csmptron They cTosscd The bay from 81. Pc
iorsburG and had Il Lovely passage, for the wa
lei was smooth and the mornings beautiful.
They took IN all the sights or the mnin stree
Including the museum of snakes AuG other
u"pch' creatures and then went over I" lunch