The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-04-26
LOVES LITTLE ONES.
Arp Says it May Mean That be Is
Growing Old.
WHEN he HUMORS CHILDREN.
But His Delight Is To See the Little
Fellows Enjoy Themselves Dis.
cusses General Matters.

entertainment for children ever saw.
l reckon that Professor Gentry runs it
for the money that is in il, but never
theless he should be commended and
honored for the pleasure that he has
given TO thousands and thousands of
children all over the land The poet
said that Abou Ben Adhem was ad-
mitted to heaven by st. Peter because
he loved his fellow men any maybe the
professor will get in because he work
ed so hard to please the children. Chill
dren are big thing in heaven. "Suf-
Ter little children to come unto Me, for
OF such is the kingdom of heaven is
the sweetest verse in the Bible to
mothers and it utterly paralyzes the
dogma of infant damnation. l know
there is plenty Of scripture to establish
the doctrine of election, but l have
never believed that it applied to lit
tie children. The maternal instinct
abhors it,
But this pony and dog show was a
most beautiful street pageant and was
Tree to the hundreds who were too
poor to pay for the tent performance.
They ought to thank the professor for
that. l am poor myself, but strained
my pocketbook and took all our little
folks in. They are still talking about
1t. The monkey who played docto
and the pony who lalu down and
groaned and played sick and how the
monkey cured him and they tell it all
over again and again and how they
rode on the ponies and the tricks OF
the beautiful dogs and so on. How
wonderfully fond the children ace of
little things, little dolls and puppies
and kittens, little horses and colts and
calves, little tiny babies and little
chickens. Old folks like little children
and 1T is sure sign that a man is
nearing his second childhood and that
his hold upon the world is weakening
when he loves the company of innocent
children. Now l am not SO dread
fully stuck On the average boys. When
they are good they are very good in
deed, but when they are bad they are
horrid. One day a grand-child be-
haved so bad at the table that | told
him he shouldn't come any more, but
should wait or eat in the kitchen.
When got up and left he said: Can
ma, ganpa gettin' mighty old, amt
he?" Yes" she said. Gamma, he'll
die some time, won't he?" But 90
love the little girls.
l am now in Florida again. for the
good people kept calling me and the
spring has come and everything down
here is SO calm and serene that am
glad l accepted their invitations. The
loyal Daughters of the Cenfederacy are
very strong in Florida and asked for
little help and SO l am here in their
behalf. l had two hours in Savannah
but had to leave at 9 o'clock in the
morning and SO did not see my friends,
Tor nobody gets up in Savannah un-
til dinner time and some few lie abed
till next day. That's what Evan How
ell told me. | travelled with him all
the way and enjoyed his company, for;
he IS always the same good talker and
he gave me graphic account of his
recent Havana trip. He likes the Gu
bans, especially the Castilian classes,
who, he says, are heightened, gem
erous and honorable people He fear,
ed that our occupation of Cuba was go
ing to be prejudical to Florida, but he
stopped long enough down here to do
away with such appreL-nsions. Floril
da cannot have substitute and will al
ways be the loveliest state in the
un1on-the natural sanitarium for our
lnvallds and the garden of the south.
An old Georgia friend who has been
here for some months told me to-day
that this state never was in so pros.
porous condition as it is to-day and
that there is more money here per
capita than there is in Georgia. Every
branch of business and every industry
is prospecting and the people, generally
are contented and happy. Howell says
the worst drawback upon the rural
population is the lack of good, cool. re-
freshing water. He told about an old
friend Of his who came down here for
the first time to visit an old acuuaint-
ance. He got off the train at Waldo.
where his friend met him, and drove
out to his little farm two or three
miles away. The day was hot and the
old man was tired and thirsty and
longed for the cool spring he left at
home. His Florida friend pulled down
q rlC1a
into hole in the ground a few feet
deep and drew it up full OF brackish
tepid water and said: Now, Jim, Just
help yourself; drink right out of the
bucket in the old-fashioned way" and
he did. 1t didn't take him long to get
enough and he said:
I've got enough, Tom; drink the
rest yourself. and when you come to
my house I'll heat some for YOU"
I've got a good joke on myself or on
somebody else. My old friend. Phil
Brown, who used to run the old Mark
ham in Atlanta, wrote me a nice letter
a month ago and begged me to come
down to Ocala and be his guest at the
Plant hotel that he has been running
all the winter. So l made straight for
the Ocala house, and he seemed sur
prised and pleased to see me. We
talked for some time about the good
old times We used to have. l had had
no dinner and not much breakfast and
was hungry as wolf. The sun went
down and the big dining room doors
did not open. Some friends called TO
see me, and it grew later and darker
but still those doors were closed, and
Noticed that Mr.. Brown had departed
those coasts. About 7:30 O'Clock
Fentured to inquire of lad what time
they had supper. He smiled at me and
s@sd: I'VE don't have it here no more
This house is closed for the winter"
He was very kind and took me to the
door and pointed to a place where
could get something to eat. and 7. ton
departed those coasts with alacritv
rhe next time MIR. Brown invites me- T
Eill go sooner or not go at all.-Bul
Arp in Atlanta Constitution.