The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-08-20
BILL ARP'S Weekly LETTER.
BARLOW MAN DISCUSSES SUBJECT
OF LOVE AND WAR.
ADVICE TO MARRIAGEABLE GIRLS.
Wealth Obtained Through Matrimony IL
Generally n Bar to Happiness. Says
Bill-Sosne Instances Cited.

| BN1-SOIne Instances Cited.
I tell you, my brethren, and don't
you forget it, the good things in this
life are not so unequally distributed as
we imagine. One thing is certain,
big pile of surplus money does not en-
sure happiness and if I was young
manageable girl would hesitate and
ponder long time before married
msn with money. 1t is a dangerous
experiment and nine times ont of ten
q fatal one. 1t is like marrying count
or anobleman. Twas Illuminating about
this while reading about Anna Gould
and her Count Casteliane and about
| Nellie Grant and Sartoris and about
the Astors and Vanderbilts, whose
families have been smirched with do
nestle scandal. And I was thinking
about many girls nearer home who
married for money and have wrecked
their happiness. Much money is o
curse both to men and women. Old
Agur's prayer is as good philosophy
now as it was 1000 years ago. Give
me neither poverty nor riches. There
is skeleton in every rich mans closet.
1 know q good lady, a kind, charitable
lady, who has money to burn and
does much good with her large income,
but she does not dare to keep her jew
elry at home and keeps her 100000
diamond necklace in Tiffany's vaults
and has not seen it in two years. How
YEARLY pass the hours when there is
nothing to do-no aim in life. How
sweet the dreams of those who earn
their living by honest work. How
happy the young mother whose time
is absorbed in nursing and sewing and
caring for her little children.
Every hour Of the day brings some
new duty and new pleasure while she
watches their development and feasts
her very soul upon their innocence. l
Twas thinking about this, for yesterday
was my birthday and our youngest
daughter put tags upon her two little
girls and sent them up to me early in
the morning as n birthday present.
Hand in hand the little innocents came
toddling along and ran to me and
climbed upon my knees and kissed
my old sunburnt cheek. There is no
pleasure SO sweet as that, and their
mother needn't have tagged them for
they are mine already, and they know
it. Father and mother arc both jeal-
GUS of their love for me, but it is my
comfort, and will pass away some Of
these days whan>I pass. Ny prayer
is that my wife and may live until all
our little ones have learned to know
us and to love us. / want our forms
and faces and smiles to be photo
graphed upon their memories and to
endure as long as life cndures. There
is another one coming tomorrow
Florida boy not yet two years old.
One we have never seen, and he will
have to be petted, too, and made to
love us, aud I will have to trot
around after him and divide my time.
There are two dogs here that love
children, and four kittens that don't,
for tell you these little chaps are hard
upon kittens. Then there are scores
of pigeons, and there is wator basin
in the front yard where the iaybirds
aud catbirds and sparrows drink and
bathe and there is q swing in the back
hall and wheelbarrow in the garden,
where I roll these children, and there
is a pretty playhouse in the cabin,
where they set their table and give
parties and play storekeeping and sell
sugar and candy and fruit. and use
gunwads for money and make believe
everything they want to. And there is
great big, open grove all around,
where they play tag and mad dog, and
where they mako playhouses around
the roots of the big trees and decorate
them with broken plates and china
ware and empty cans and marble
chips. And there are raspberries and
blackberries down in the corner OF the
,, garden and pretty flowers all about
|, and everything is as free as water tt
these children when they come, AND
, they know it. Yes, they know it
What they break they bring to me e
mend, as a matter of course, and
keep on hand hammer and nails and
tacks and gluepot and my wife keep
her scissors and needle and thread
and there is always some biscuit and
Jelly and cake in the sideboard fol
| these chaps always coming hungry
! no matter how much they have had q
home. This house is free hotel
, caravansary for children and grand
children, and they know it-yes, the.
( know it. And it is the same for nea
. and dear friends, and they know it
too. We like it and they like it, ant
,, it beats fashion and folly and war.
Warl Yes, war with all its POM
, and glory. Chickamauga is in Wake
, county and Walker county is begginl
for martial law. It is history repeat
J ing itself. These United States regu
.. lars are, ne general rule, the scum
: all nations. When vagabond get
! here he is enlisted, for he can fin'
nothing else to do and joins the ma
chine. He had no moral principle a
! home and has none here. Whethc
9 white or black the regulars are set
; brutes. We found that out during tn
!. last war aud they are the same now
What do they care about subduin
Spain or relieving the starving Gu
. bans2 They will rob and rape ON
: steal whenever and wherever they re