The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-03-16
BILL hRP'S C0URISH|p.
He Anticipates the Golden Wedding
and Eliminates.
HOW HE WON THE PARTNER,


This ia to be play drama in which
there are but two actors-a hero and q
heroine, Fifty years ago they we're
the bright particular stars In this same
play and were the exposures of many
eyes and received the warm congIatu-
lations OF kindred and friends, but
now the roe Of the drama is reversed.
The stars have faded aud lost their daz-
ZlIDg light. The actors can 70 longer
strut or pose UPON the stage and the
sympathetic audience must do the
playing. Passive, pensIve, subdued
and grateful, my wife and | can only
receive our friopds, listen to their sa!n-
tHtlons, rejoice with those who rejoice
and sympathize with those who nave
had sorrow. Fifty years ago there
was not a cloud lowering over our hori-
Zon-no apprehension of trouble or grief
or death or war or any dire calamity.
Bright hopes and fond expectations
filled our cup to the brim aud Loves
yOI pg dream made e!ervthing to seem
beautiful. We EreatLed the poet
grateful prayer.
''The world ID very lovely. Oh, my
God, thank Thee that live"
The memory of those halcyon days is
sweet and fingers with us, but in course
Of time the unwelcome contrast came
All !ctlons and anxieties invaded our
humble home. Sickness came, and
death, and then war with all its hor-
rorB. Then our dear parents passed
away and left Us TO fight our battles
alone, and we have long since learned
that LIES victory is to suffer and be
BtroDg-to look upon the bright side
to enjoy the blessings of the present
rather than lament those We have lost
or borrow trouble that may never come.
In looking backward over our welded
life L can say that we have had more
than our share of peace aud joy-oi
| comfort and luxury-of health and
strength; more than usually falls to the
| lot of mortals. AS we look around o,
read the public press we learn CT misery
| and distress, sickness and want al
over this blessed land, and there are
thousands Of unhappy creatures Ian
| gushing in the prisons while then
| wives and mothers and children suffer
and grieve in broken-hearted homes
1t grieves us to think of these, and ".
can but rejoice that Providence has
granted to us a better fate. We still
have liberty and neither wo nor oul
children nor our children's children
have ever suffered for the comforts 0
| life.
Some years ago, at q county fair IL
Arkansas, l was introduced to ar aget
couple who had been awarded the pre-
MUM for bringing upon the ground til,
largest family and the most numerou
posterity. Each of them had passet
the four scora mark, and while [ wa
taking notes the old man said "Ant
you may put down that nary one of on
ten sons or seven sons in-law have eve
been brought into court for anythin:
that they have done And Mr.. Arp yo1
may put down that me and my wit
have lived together sixty-one years m,
both joined the Baptist church six,
years ago. and enduriu' all that time
have voted the Democratic ticket;-pu
that down, Mr. Arp"
If / were asked what is tho lever tina
moves the world, l would answer, 81
Is love-" The poet says:
"All thoughts. oil passions, all dc
lights
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
All are but ministers Of love
And feed its sacred flame"
Education and religion and iEventio
are all levers, but stronger than all com
pinned IS ve;thelove of parents for thei
children and their chiidren's children
the love Of husband andwife, young me
Tor thor sweethearts Or girls for the.
lovers, the love of friend for friend an
OF tho generous and philanthropic fc
humankind, the love of home and cour
try and the scenes of our childhood, tn
hills and Wales and springs aud streams
the trees and flowers that adorn then
Walter Scott never wrote stronger {
truer verso than when he said:
Love rules the camp, the court, the grov
And men below and saints above,
For love Is heaven and heaven 10 love"
Fond memory goes back to my ow
youthful days when was school be
and loved pretty lass of twelve sun
mers and she knew it, and when a. OF
books on opposite sides of the roo
ever and anon she glanced at me on
always blushed when / returned b.
gaze. 1t was an incentive to mo I
study and keep up with her for 81
was q good scholar. At tie week
spelling bee, when all of us stood in
semi-circle half round the room ST
generally got head and stayed Their
and 1 generally got next to her and 81
y held her hand IN mlne and staye
there, too. That was but school bov
love and with time and separation it fs,
ed away. Then went to tho institu
and was prepared for college and
due time became o sophomore at VIII
is now called the. University of Geo
gia. [ found many sweet and prett
girls in Athens, and during my seco,
. year fell desperately in love with one
them. All, how gently she tolled II
, along and how sweetlv she toyed wi
me and sang the same old story "W
, you walk into nay parlor, said the s,
der to the fyv'-and I walked in. ST
was kind, very kind, and said 81
3 would always love me as sister. ALA
these sisters who are of no kin. n
addresses were rejected and all l cou
= do was to smite upon my breast 81
exclaim:
'Maic OF Athens, ere we part,
Give, Oh give me back my heart
But time is o good doctor, and in O fl
months 1 was well aud ready for a.
. other spider.
When nearing the close OF nv. CT
, lego life my fathers extreme iIlne
called me home and I took charge
his mercantile business. Three ven
before, when 1 went to college, 1 |,
behind me q sweet little hazel-eye
black haired brunette who was
: school girl in short dresses and pant
: lettes. Soon after my departure S
heightened out her dresses and "
, sent by her father to Augusta. there
finish her education. We both
, turned home about the same time a
, I was both surprised and delighted
find her q full blown rose, O brunei
maiden as dark as Pocahontas and
g shy a. q fawn. She wore number
t shoes and stepped like deer. S
n Was then just sweet sixteen and
\ reason to believe had never had
| cxxoszxa laraE Aar ia thor IL 1