Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-06-11
Arp FOUND A FRIEND
Who Helped Him to Get Out of His
Financial Difficulties.
bifs ratch Of Luscious Bcrries--Mors
Money In Raising Strawberries Than
In Corn and cottoh-Arp to
Write Up Florida Points.

ovot OOuy ilttlc
decds of Kindness, little words of love- :"
good neighbor said to me today: my
wtfe's greatest pleasure seems to be IN
doing something for somebody, or Civ.
ing something away. This morning
she cut all the asparagus and I was an
ticipating b luxurious feast, when saw
her tie 1t up and send it off to neigh
Dor. What did you do that for said 4,
why didn't you have 1t for dinner9'
WE'LL said she, we have had 1t almost
every day and Mrs. y. has not had any.
and she Is very fond of 1t, and had
rather give it to her than eat 1t myself.
My wife Is always planning how she
can do something for somebody. We
are es poor as Lazarus, but my wife will
send something to somebody if it is only
collection of pretty flowers. Her re-
ligion is to give all the pleasure she can
TO our neighbors-to make somebody
happy for little WHILE"
This is the most comforting pleasure
know OF. Some philosopher said he
had never saved anything except what
he gave away that paid good interest,
and 1T does. / have helped some people
In my life. / have lifted them up out of
despair, and the reaction has given me
more comfort than anything else. I
don't know whether it was interested or
disinterested benevolence, but I do
know that 1t has given mo comfort
every time think OF it. l had some
good luck shortly after the war and the
poor fellows who were on starvation
were not tar away. They are nearly all
dead, but love to think that divided
with them. Misery does not like to ask
for help. Misery is the most reluctant
thing on earth. OF course there are
frauds and imposters, but most Of tho
beggars ore real. Beggars is hard
name. | saw woman yesterday on
Marietta street.-the child in her arms
was proof enough, and dropped quar-
ter.in her tumbler and went on. She
had sad, sweet face. Suppose she
was fraud, had given but mite and
know she needed it. Am to stop and
Investigate the womans conduct or
necessities; am to ''cross over on the
other side," as the Scriptures tell us Of
the people who would not help the un-
fortunate.
These panicky times are awful. My
pen has ceased to pay my way, and
knowing that had lots OF friends, l
sought to bridge over the financial chasm
and began to look about for financial
friend. They told me that Atlanta was
full of money, but must have local
indorser. Well, l have. / know a
thousand friends in Atlanta thousand
good people who love me and lovo
them, but when it comes down to money
was not suro of ten-no, nor fve.
tried a few and failed-they didn't in
dorse-they had sworn of.
"And what Is friendship but name,
A charm that lulls to Sleep"
But l did find two out Of hunored
thousand, two great, big-hearted friends
who said: "Yes, will indorse for you
II have it to pay myself-how much
do you want?" "Only Ssc0." said I. and
got the money and was grateful.
The truth is was afraid to ask any
body, for friendship is but name-a
charm that lulls to sleep"
But let me tell you something more
about little things. Last summer
planted seven rows OF strawberries froE,
runners. That made ten rows old aid
young. / watered them in summer and
mulched them with half-rotted oak
leaves in tho early fall. The patch is
only 6Ox3O feet, and we have gathered
forty gallons from it. We could have
sold them at 10 cents quart know,
|. for they are very fine. They are mot
two inches in diameter, nor one inch.
but are fine. But We did not sell them.
We sent them around to good friends
and that gave us more pleasure; and
then we cooked them up into jam and
will have something good for the win
ter. The raspberries will como next,
and then the blackberries, and will now
have lots of jam. for sugar 10 now the
cheape thing in this country.
Now 60xs0 feet is only 1,s0O aquare
feet, and that is only one-twenty-fifth
part Of an acre-well, forty gallons are
Ave bushels, and they are worth 1t least
g. so q bushei, and that is over three hum
dred dollars an aero. That beats cot
ton. or corn or anything else. Straw
berries will pay 1t cents : quart, for
that Is sl60 bushel take moro
comfort in picking the berries than
an ything. and our little grandchild
loves 70 help me, and every big ono she
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