The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-12-18
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
MEETS AN OLD FRIEND VINO RE
CALLS TIE DIN PAST.
Philosopher Tends the Flowers and
Sweeps the Walks.

Now that the elections are an over,
Let us wash our hands and turn over a
new leaf. Il isa curious paradox that
as general rules man can't be elected
until be first falls from grace. Poli-
tics makes o strange mixture Of Cal
viuism and Arminianism. But / reckon
We will an survive our disappointments
and, "a Dr.. Miller used 10 say, learn
10 spell the word aequiesco. He ell.
ways pronounced II with the first
long like IL wasaequioeoe. This seems
TO DO tho young mems era and reckon
they can run the machine, but must
say that II has besn q long tine since
/ have had my choice in anything out
side Of home. ] am doing reasonably
well under my own vine and lg tree,
where I am elected all the time. The
fact is, never fall from grace inside
Of my own premises, though sometimes
things are not calm and serene even
there.
/ worked hard yesterday clearing up
the flower garden aud got in quite q
sweat Of perspiration. The leaves
from our big trees had blown all over
the beds and the chrysanthemums had
fallen down and had to be staked mp
and tied and the old Gamma stocks had
TO be cut down and removed. By the
time I had got everything in good or
der and the leaves all burned aad the
walks raked ont thought il was about
time TO receive some praise from some
body, for / had observed that Mrs.
Arp was sewing by the open window
and occasionally gave me an uxorial
glance. And so / sat down on the
iron Beat 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 as clean as a parlor.
was there yesterday at the meeting OF
the aid society and everything was
lovely. Mr.. Crawford certainly knows
how to keep q 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 I dident.
But I wasent serene ut all and veutured
to remark that Mr.. Crawford diden'
do it, for he had to weigh cotton al
day and I reckon ii was Mrs Craw
ford's work. paused for a reply
but she resumed her needle and thread
and / sat and ruminated. When
came to dinner / continued my broker
remarks and said that Mr. Crawford
dident have four acres of big oal
trees to litter up his little front yard ant
I thought that carpet of rich brown
leaves wasent an unsightly thing no
{ how. She asked me to send down M
plate for some chicken. After anothe
pause l remarked that I had lonJ
! since found out that we couldent hav
every good thing in one place. w
couldent have beautiful grove and
l fine flower garden near it for flower
t won't grow under shade. Those beau
tiful roses that Mrs. Laramore sen
) me have the sunshine all the day.
i "Let me help you to do one Of thes
: poached eggs" she said.
n "But reckon" said ], as I handle
9 my plate, Mrs. Crawford had thing
i fixed up extra fine because the aid &c
: ciety was coming"
t "It is going to meet here next week,
g my wife remarked in a modifying ton
+ of voice, won't you have a glass {
. buttermilk; it is fresh and good"
=. And so 1 gave it up, and after Dime
she came out and was quite profuse /
Z her admiration, for the knows that
!. takes lots Of encouragement to kee
: me at work. TIL keep on cleaning u
& until that aid society comes and goe
p I'll watch the leaves as they fall on
e. catch 'em in my hat. I'll sweep on
Y sandpaper every walk and then Mr.
Z Crawford con go home and praise n
il to Mr.. era Word and put him in pout
is I'm going to put out two mHTe rows
e strawberry plants today, for eha hinte
= that we had hardly enough. al hear
her tell the girls thnt che was ashamt
r Of that old patched-np carpet in IL
:! dining room, for it had been down fl
d four winters, ana che wished she d
X have a large rug 70 pat undsE the t
. bic. I'll surprise her with one some
+ these days when sell my gold mine
le will sell now, reckon, since McKinlt
70 was elected. for there is gold in it.
;, y was the only thing had that Sherman
q bummers didn't pick up and carry Q
1t I travelled the other day with on q
So soldier from Atlanta to Cartersvil
X He couldn't find seat, and look
IT. troubled as he toted his old valise
he and down the aisle. So pulled
20 coattail and made him, sit down by n
He looked thankful and in reply to I
nd inquiry, said he was going to Oalhou
ny and from there to his soD-in-law's
/" the country, couple OF miles; said