The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-02-12

= alicansarema rshaled in doubledrankH
mon the distant sand bar, breakers
from the gulf r tossing their white
cans in the passes between the islands,
white calls are bending gracefully to
the breeze that is moving over the bay
and h sunshine sparkles on the silvery
water. There are squirrels in the trees
all around the house and a belated quail
is whistling for his covey. Everything
about here seems happy, and there Is
M tariff in natures treasures. Provi
dence ia kind in giving US all the best
things for nothing. The flowers, the
forest. the birds, the crystal waters,
the deep blue sea and the golden sun.
sets that delight the eye-music that
chayms the and luscious fruits that
crafty the taste-an these and more
are ours without money-yes, without
effort-ours to eDjoy-designed, or
dained away back in the councils Of
the Creator. How is it possible for
any sane man to attribute them to
chanceq Why should diamonds be
hidden in the mines or pearls grown
into form and beauty within the shells
of 30 ~senseless a thing as an oyster, if
these gems were not intended to adorn
the hand or the brow of woman7
But I did not intend to moralize, and
if I did, my cogitations we're suddenly
interrupted by a feminine voice:
Papa, papa, there r some chickens
and turkeys coming this evening, and
I haven't got a chicken coop yet. I
told you about it yesterday. I've been
keeping the fowls In a box" Well,
now I am a born carpenter, but I say
from experience that a man who can
build a decent, two story chicken coop
that will ornament the back yard can
build a house. And 80 I went at it
with alacrity and my nan Friday,
whose sir name is Humphrey, waited
on me. 1t took us the best part of the
day, but we got it done and the doors
hung just as the turkeys came up. I'm
going to paint it tomorrow. Hum
.phrey is a pious darkey and half his
wages goes to the church or thesociety.
Humphrey and another pious darkey
hold prayer meeting down here and
they pray long and loud for their kin
dred away up In Georgia, and then
they pray for me and my wife and all
our children and for Miss Dorp, as they
call her, and all her kinfolks- Oh,
Lord, good Lord, make Miss Dora
thankful for her fine house and fine
furniture and her purity things and
make her TO member that the Lord
given all to her"
Miss Dora says shenever felt so hum
BILE and subdued in all her life as she
did while listening outside TO her ser
wants prayer for her and her children.
But these are Georgia darkies. Florida
negroes have a bad reputation A man
came 20 me for work yesterday and
told. me In advance that he was from
Columbus, Ga. I hired him and ne
does an honest days work. It is q
strange anomaly that a negro laborer
commands here $1.25, whites good ar
penter gets only 81 so for a days work.
And these carpenters arc on an aver |
age, the best | ever saw anywhere. |
Their work proves it. They are no
chicken coop builders. The perfect
framing, the beautiful ~wainscoting and
the exact fit and finish of doors and |
window sash, and the mantels that
they design and finish In curled pine
excel any work In upper Georgia. But
we don't have such pine in the up
country. 1t is a Florida variety.
BILL ARP.