The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-03-15
BILL ARP AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN.
AN UNBRoKEN FRoLIo ALL DAY.
They Chalked the Walls, Upset the
mucilage and Uttered the Floor
With paDer.

Yesterday was a long and happy day
our house, for "a lot Of the grand-chli-
uren came early and some Of the neigh
bors' little girls found out they were
here. They always find out, and SO
they came over and joined the process
sion ana 1T was an ~unbrOken frollc ali
day long. The little ones brought
their dolls along, for the maternal in
stlnct begins early. hey made play
houses under trees n played humble
peg with my two knives, and rode in
the ball and veranda on the tricycle.
and dressed up in all the fine Old clothes
my vile could find in tne trunks and
closets, and paraded upstairs and down
stairs and outdoors with their trains
dragging after them, and they PLAYED
going to call and receiving calls.
Whensthe dinner bell rang they all
came running and it took all my time to
walton them, and their grandma got out
every good thing she had in the house,
ana ABOUT the middle Of the afternoon
they wanted to give u little party and
had to have more cake and crackers
and pie.
Some OF the little ones got bold Of
some chalk and colored Canyons and
marked all over the veranda and tried
To make pictures of dogs and horses
n monkeys on the walls, and then
they called for scissors and fashion
books and cut out dolls and ladies and
other pictures and scattered them over
the room. They got hold of my mucilage
Oot'le n pasted things about aud
even Ventured to my little table to
write letters while | was working in
the garden, n all their grandma said
was, You had better watch out, your
grandpa is coming" Pm going to lick
EN- sometime wnen she is not about.
put In due time they had to go home,
for,
The day was done and the darkness
FELL from the wings of night"
Our own girls went visiting after
supper and my wife and | were alone
anu h)t u sound was heard In all the
house save the ticking OF the clock
upon the mantel. The contrast was so
great that 1T was impressive and we
felt lonesome and almost sad. Each of
us had our corner and table and lamp
and tried to read the war news, but
our old eyes were tired and we gaZed
upon The fire and ruminated. For some
time we hal been In silent, serious
r%everie about those little, happy chill
dren and breathing q prayer that they
might always be happy and hat no
calamity or anllctiOn might befall
them, n then our minds turned to
our absent boys, who are scattered far
and wide, from New York to Mexico.
and we breathed another prayer for
their health and happiness and their
return to us some of these days-ycs,
some CT these days before we die they
Will come, we know, but it may be to a
funeral instead of u feast.
We were Illuminating about all This
in silence, when suddenly nv wife
seemed startled and whispered, 81
heard "a football at the window. There
Is somebody there Before [ could
answer, the sweet, sad strains of Minis
trel music began low and soft and the
violins and guitar played to the fitting
song of "Old Folks at Home" The
MINISTRIES had re~connoitered and found
that only we were at bone. They gave
us but one song and were gone
but these little episodes sweeten the
passing hours and comfort us in our
golden age. Forty-nine years ago to-
oay, we were welded. 1t is like re.
veIslng a telescope to look pack to that
day and time, when the glow of youth
and health and beauty was upon my
creole maiden's cheeks, when gems
adorned Ler hair, when the even
Ing light was on her brow and pearls
upon her brea t as she stood beside me
at the marriage alter. 1t is like look.
through u Kaleidoscope to recall the
days and weeks and months and wears
that have interviewed since-a kaleido.
scope that at every turn OF the sands of
Time presents another picture Of life,
It's Joys and sorrows, its trials and it's
blessings. What changes, what sur.
pr1ses, and in the midst of it all n war
"a long and hUrrid war that ALWAYS
looms up before our memories and
ecllpses all that was before or after.
But on The whole the lines have fallen
10 us In pleasant places and we have
had more Joy Than sorrow, more CON
tort than distress. God gave Us five
children before the war and live more
came alter and we are thankful that
only we, the parents of them, shared
and suffered all the long anxiety and
they knew 1T not. God grant that
neither they nor their children shall
De so tried, so troubled, SO strained in
mind and heart for four long years.
while the days seemed weeks and the
weeks months. But we endured it ali
and thousands Of others endured and
suffered more. What is it that man
and wife cannot endure when their
children are at stake. The poet says:
They who JOY would win
Must share 1t. Happiness was born n twin"
Anu IL 10 Ine same Win grief and
efll .ction.
[ have had some most delicious read.
Ing lately. It Is the address delivered
by DR.. Hunter Mcclure on Jan. 22d
last past at the ST. Denis Hotel, in New
York, at the eighth annual banquet of
the Confederate veterans camp OF New
York city. 1T must be, | know. the
most beautiful and thrilling tribute to
S~tonewall Jackson ever written or
spoken by any man. Dr.. Mcclure was
Jackson's medical director and most
confidential friend and has told in this
address more touching incidents con.
nected with the great generals mill
larry career than | have ever found and
they are beautifully, charmingiy told.
Every page OF this little boonIet is
adorned with them. 1t is not often
That medical men indulge in blographl-
ca literature, but DR.. Mcclure Is Ger.
talnly a man of rare culture. read
this address aloud to my wife and
daughters last evening anu at times
could not read. | had to pause and
walt for my heart to be still and nv
voice to come back to me. These al.
ways tell me when whaU | rcad Ia IN
spired. How did our hearts burn with.
In us as | cad and how was our pa,riot-
Ism revived ana set aslow WIN new
hre. Even on the first page he awakens
US from that lethargy which time ard
current events bring over the Lest of
patriots for he says:
1T was with a swelling heart that T
recently heard some OF the first soldiers