The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-23
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
HE FINDS FOOD FOR THOUGHT
IN THE TRUTHFUL CAMERA.
Photo Gallery by the Countryside
Marks Civilizations Progress.

Inc photograph gallery In country
town is one the most pleasing marks
Of Christian. civilization and the ad-
vanoement Of modern science. pass
by one every day and it is gratifying
to SEQ it's patrons awaiting their turn
or coming out with smiling faces and
all arrayed in their best apparel. 1t
is q family discussion before they come
what dress to wear, what ornaments,
and how the hair shall be arranged, or
whether to sit or stand, whether a side
view or front or whether the baby
shall be taken alone or with it's mother.
All GLASSES are on an equality before
the camera, for the sunlight of nature
has no favorites. So far az face. and
features arc concerned, the camera
tells the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth. This morning
as passed l saw countryman sit
ting on the steps with child
in his arms. His wife and little
girl were inside awaiting their
turn. used to know him before he was
married, and SO L stopped and gave
him my hand. His folks werc poor,
honest and Industrious. and / have
great respect for all such. The women
do tho houscwork and have the care of
the children. The men cultivate their
little farms, work the roads, sit on the
iuries, nurse their sick neighbors, bury
the dead, go fishing on Saturdays and
take tho family to me ting on Sundays.
They are generally Populists, not be-
cause of any political principles in
volved, but because of affiliation and
association. Most of their kind are
Populists and therefore clannish. They
stick together because they ore either
poor or less than r,ch. Their fathers
fought in the late war, and these will
fight in the next if it comes in their
days. I. may be rich mans war,
but it will be poor mans fight.
care you going to have the baby's
picture taken" "No; not this one" I"
said he; "I wanted my wifc's aud our
little girls. They are in there. l
thought / would like to have them
about the house, for life is uncertain,
you know. jim Mnore's wife died last
year und Jim says ho would give the
world for her picture, and Jack Brown
lost his little girl in June. She was n
mighty pur,y little thing, but Jack
hain't got no picture end SO l conclud
ed to have some taken for fear Of acci-
dent
"rhat is oil right" said I. "but sup
pose you die; wouldn't your wife like
to have one Of you?"
81 reckon she would. She mention
ed that, but pictures don't become u
rough mau like me, and besides, it
would cost more money than / have
got to spare. The winter is comm on
and we NIL have to have shoes and
stockings and the like, and my cotton
crop WAS powerful short, but [ will
have mine taken sometime. l reckon
all your folks have got 'em, haven't
thcy?"
Love for wife and children is the
best virtue of human kind, aud poor
lolks have rs much of it rs rich ones.
Yes, more. Many Of them haven't
ANYTHING else to divide their aifec-
tions. 1t is pleasing thing TO SEQ
them at the picture gallery and to wit
ness their pride when the work II done
and the faces # their loved ones are
before them on enameled cards, fresh
and clean from the artists hand.
What wonderful art it is. L remem'
Der we'll when the first daguerreotype
was taken in our town. 1t was only
forty years ago, and when our first lit
tic girl was four yenrs old we had her
picture taken. She was little beauty
then, and 1 thought tho picture was
the sweetest gem on earth. We have
it now in its old fashioned case. That
little girl is long since mother and
has pictures of her own little girls,
aid they are much finer in their finish
but prize the first one most. 1t car
ries me back in memory to the days o.
my sweetest, fondest, proudest. pa
rental love. L ido)ize that child and
1 love her dearly yet, but she left III
for q young man she was no kin to il
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