The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-12-04
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
MEETS AN OLD FRIEND WHO RE
CALLS THE DIM PAST.
Philosopher Tends the Flowers and
Sweeps the Walks.


let us wash our hands and turn over q
| new leaf. It is q curious paradox that
as general rule man can't be elected
until he first falls from grace. Poll
tics makes a strange mixture of Cal
vinism and Arminianism. But reckon
we will oil survive our disappointments
and, as DIR. Miller used to say, learn
to spell the word acquiesce. He al
ways pronounced it with the first
long like it was Gcquieece. This seems
to be the young mems era and reckon
they can run the machine, but 1 must
say that it has been long time since
have had my choice in anything out
side of home. 1 am doing reasonably
we'll under my own vine and fig tree,
where I am elected all the time The
fact is, 1 never fall from grace inside
of my own premises, though ometimes
things are not calm and serene even
there.
worked hard yesterday clearing up
the flower garden and got in quite
sweat of perspiration. The leaves
from cur big trees had blown all over
, tho beds and the chrysanthemums had
fallen down and had to be staked up
and tied and the old Gamma stocks had
to be cut down and removed. BY the
time had got everything in good or
der and the leaves all burned and the
walks raked out thought it was about
time to receive some praise from some
body, for L had observed that Mrs.
Arp was sewing by the open window
and occasionally gave me an uxorial
glance. And so I sat down on the
iron seat and mopped the honest dew
from my aged forehead. Suddenly
she drew near the window and re-
marked:
81 wish you could just see Mrs.
! Crawford's front yard and flower gar
den they are rs clean as parlor. I
was there yesterday at tho meeting of
the aid society and everything was
lovely. Mr.. Crawford certainly knows
how to keep place in order"
Well, that disturbed my tranquility
little and was about to say maybe
you had better get him to come up
| here and fix this one, but l dident
But L wasent serene at all and ventured
| to remark that Mr.. Crawford dident
| do it, for he had to weigh cotton all
day and 1 reckon it was Mrs Craw-
| ford's work. l paused for reply,
but she resumed her needle ard thread
and l sat and ruminatcd. When I
came to dinner continued my broken
remarks and said that Mr.. Crawford
| dident have four acres of big oak
| trees to litter up his little front yard and
1 thought that carpet of rich brown
leaves wasent an unsightly thing no.
how. She asked me to send down my
plate for some chicken. After another
pause 1 remarked that I had long
since found out that We couldent have
every good thing in one place. We
couldent have beautiful grove and q
fine flower garden near it for flowers
won't grow under shade. Those beau
tiful roses that Mrs. Laramore sent
me have the sunshine all the day.
''Let me help You to do one of these
poached eggs" she said.
"But reckon" said I, as handed
my plate, "Mrs. Crawford had things
fixed up extra fine because tho aid So
ciety was coming"
''It is going to meet here next week, +"
my wife remarked in modifying tone
of voice. "Won't you have q glass of
buttermilk; it is fresh and good"
And 30 gave it up, and after dinner
she came out and was quite profuse in
her admiration, for che knows that it
takes lots of encouragement to keep
me at work. I'll keep on cleaning up
until that aid society comes and goes.
I'll watch the leaves as they fall and
catch 'em in my hat. I'll sweep and
sandpaper every walk and then Mrs.
Crawford can 60 home and praise me
to Mr.. Crawford and put him in pouts.
I'm going to put out two more rows of
strawberry plants today, for she limited
that We had hardly enough. I heard
her tell the girls that she was ashamed
OF that old patched-up carpet in the
dining room, for it had been down for
four winters, and she wished she did
have large rug to put under the ta-
BILE. I'll surprise her with one some of
these days when 1 sell my gold mine. 1t
will sell now, L reckon, since Mckinley
was elected. for there is gold in it. It
was the only thing I had that Sherman's
bummere didn't pick up and carry off.
travelled the other day with an old
soldier from Atlanta to Cartersville.
He couldn't find seat, and looked
troubled as he toted his old valise up
and down tho aisle. SO I pulled his
coattail and made him sit down by me.
He looked thankful and in reply to my
inquiry, said he was going to Calhoun,
md from there to his son-in-law's in
the country, couple of miles; said 10
wanted to see Sally and her children
mighty bad.
'Sally is powerful good woman"
said ne, "and she has good, indus
trious husband, and they are gittin'