The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-03-11
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Ee Delights In Playing With His Grand
children.
Atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
was Illuminating about the cost Of
raising a child. My wife and my
daughter have been busy for a week
fixing up short clothes for the little
girl and [ wondered what was the mat
ter. eve are just making up some
spring dressesfor Caroline" they said.
elbow many will it take?" said l..
"Well we will have to have fourteen
to start on" said my wife, zone for
each day and seven of them will have
to go out in the wash you know every
Monday" "How many other gar
ments2' said J. "Well, there are
seven white skirts and four fannels
and some little shorts you know, but
everything is so cheap now that her
clothing doesn't cost much. These
nice little dresses with lace trimmings
and all only cost about so cents apiece
for all the material aud we do the
work at home" Carolinei is our grand
child and lives in the house with us
and gives US lots of comfort. She
loves me and I love her dearly and
had rather nurse her and frolic with
her than go to town and exchange wit
and wisdom with the l~iterati and the
loafers. An old man and al;ttle child
fit mighty well together. 1t is nature
compromise. I am old and wrinkled
and gray, but this little child will put
out her hands to come to me whenever
I come in the room. hathatters me,
of course, though Der grandmother
says it is just because I walk about
with her and that | spoil her and make
it harder for anybody else to nurse
her. She is cutting more teeth now
and is just getting yer the %whooping
cough and needs more nursing, and
when she puts out her arms to me I'm
going to take her and walk about with
her if the world comes to an end.
I've got a little soothing song that
I've been singing to u children for
forty years and [ can get them to sleep
when nobody else can. The measles
are all over the town now and she has
got to have them. Her little cousins
have been here kissing her and now
they have broken out, but that all
right. I don't believe in hiding a
child from the measles.
It is a right big thing to raise a
child, and especially ten of them. 1t
is the biggest thing in this life. There
are things that the newspapers and
society and congress make more fuss
about, but they won't compare with
it in importance nor in purity and
love and self-sacrifce. The innocence,
helplessness and affection Of a child,
say from one to FIVE years old, is the
most blessed and attractive thing in
the world. About three million babies
are born every year in the United
States, and it takes about six million
people to raise them up to walking
and talking time. Then another crop
comes on, and another and another.
The fact is hal about half the people
in the civilized world are engaged in
raising the other half. And it is a
labor of love. I speak from expert
ence when I say that the pleasure I
have derived from nursing, caring for,
maintaining, pleasing and educating
our children has exceeded all that ]
have realized from all other sources.
And now that I am old and tired, ]
had rather frolic with a grandchild
than do anything else. Of course,
there are some outsiders who care
nothing about these things. There
are some selfish mothers who are alb.
sorbed in society and its fashions and
follies who turn their children off to
BE- nursed, and there are some old
bachelors who don't want to be both,
cred with them and some business
men who think that making money is
q bigger thing, and hardly have time
to get acquainted with their children,
and there are a big lot Of thieves,
burglars, robbers, drunkards and con-
victs who care nothing for children,
but, nevertheless, the masses Of the
people get married and become engag-
ed in raising children and this is the
natural thing to do and brings more
happiness than can be found in any
other state or condition. My wife and
my daughter with her first child are
happier right now in working for that
little child than they would be in any
other occupation, and SO am [. I
wouldn't write a line for a newspaper
if I wasn't obliged to. I would work
in the garden and among the flowers,
for that is the next best thing and
keeps me in good health.
But it didn't take as many garments
for our first children as it did for the
last. They we're not changed every
day in the old times-every other day
was enough. My wife generally had
two on hand and it kept her busy with
needle and thread, for we never had a
sewing machine until our first child
was eight years old. She did it all
with her fngers-plaits, tucks, trim,
mings, caps, bonnets, stockings and
all. There never was a mother who
did more work or nicer work for her
children. 1t was just wonderful, con-
sidering that she wasn't raised to work
and had her waiting maids all around
her and was only sixteen when | mar
ried her. But she had the maternal
instinct, and for forty-fve years has
been happy in working for them.
Some folks call it Shaving, but if it
brings happiness what if it is slavery.
I don t see that she has pinned away or
lost flesh, or become sad and dropsy.
There is not a gray hair on her classic
head and hardly a wrinkle on erbrow
and she has cost me less in doctors
bills than any child we have got. 1t
is wonderful what a mother can endure
and how far she will 60 to nurse her
children. Anew years ago she hurried
off to Florida to take care of a sick
boy, and she staid by him for three
months in a little room and she saved
his life. There is no doubt about that.
And right now she is on the lookout
for a telegram from New York or Ohio
or Mexico or Florida, where the boys
are scattered, and if it comes she will
want to take the first train. What it
will cost or where the money will come
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