The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-01-16
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
MEETS AN OLD FRIEND WHO RE-
CALLS THE DIxLPAsT.
Philosopher Tends the Flowers and
Sweeps the Walks.

Philosophers Tends the Flowers and
Sweeps the Walks.
Now that the elections are all over,
let us wash our hands and turn over
new leaf. It is curious paradox that
as general rule man cant be elected
until he first falls from grace. Poll
tics makes o strange mixinre OF CAL
vinism and Arminianism. But reckon
! We will all survive cur disappointment
and, as Or. Miller used to say, learn
to spell the word acquiesce. He al
ways pronounced it with the first Q
long like it was acquieece. This seems
to be the young mems era and reckon
they can.ru the machine, but must
say that it has hean long me since
have had my choice in anything out
side Of home. I am doing reasonably
well under my own vine and fig tree,
where / am elected all the time. The
fact is, l 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 and got in qnite Q
sweat of perspiration. The leaves
from cur big trees had blown oil over
the 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 I had got everything in good or
der and the leaves all burned ard the
walks raked ont thought it was about
time to receive some praise from some
body, for I had observed that Mrs.
Arp was sewing by the open window
and occasionally gave me IN nxorial
glance. And so / sat down on the
iron seat and mopped the honest dew
from my aged forehead. Suddenly
she drew near the window and r,-
marked:
II wish you could just see Mrs.
Crawfora's front yard aud flower gar
den; they are as clean as parlor. I
was there yesterday at tho meeting OF
the aid society and everything WA
lovelv. Mr.. Crawford certainly knows
Low to keep place in order"
Well, that-disturbed my tranquility
o little aud was about to say maybe
you had better get him to come up
here and fix this one, bnt didenr.
Bnt wasent serene at all and ventnred
to remark that Mr.. Crawford. dident
do ii, for he had to weigh cotton all
day and I reckon it was Mrs Craw-
ford's work. I paused for reply,
bnt she resumed her needle cad thread
and / sat and ruminntcd. 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
thought that carpet of rich brown
leaves wasent an unsightly thing mo-
how. She asked me to send down my
plate for some chicken, After another
pause I remarked that / had long
since found out that we couldent have
every good thing in one place. We
couldent have o beautiful grove and .
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.
s.Let me help yon to do one of these
poached eggs, she said.
''But reckon" said /, as handed
my plate, "Mrs. Crawford had things
fixed up extra fine because the aid so
ciety was coming"
'sIt is gong to meet here next week, "
my wife remarked in modifying tone
of voice. "Won't you have glass Of
buitermilk; it is fresh and good"
And so 1 gave it up. and after dinner
sho came out and was quite nrofuse il
her admiration, for .hs knows that il
takes lots Of encouragement to keep
me at work. I'll keep on cleaning mp
until that aid society comes and goes.
I'll watch the leaves as they fall and
catch 'em in my hat. Til sweep and
sandpaper every walk and then Mrs.
Crawford can go 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 ths 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 uudsr the ia.
BILE. Til surprise her with one some Of
these Aays when | sell my gold mine. Il
will cell now, I reckon, since Mckinley
was elected. for there is gold 10 it. 1t
was the only thing I had that Sherman'l
bummers didn't pick up and carry of
! / travelled the other day with an old
soldier from Atlanta to Cartersville.
He couldn't find q seat, and looked
troubled as he toted his old valise nE
and down the aisle. So I pulled hi
coattail and made him cit down by me-
He looked thankful and in reply to ms
inquiry, said he was going to Calhoun
/ and from there to his son-in-law's II
the country, couple of miles !; said b
wanted to see Sally and her children
mighty bad.
"ssally is a powerful good woman,
said ne, ssand she has good, indus
trious husband. and they are gittin
along mighty wei consilerin'. NJ,
old woman died eight years ago, ant
I'm so lonesome at home that ] &,
about and about and stay with ou
married children. That's all that al
old man can do for comfort"