The Atlanta constitution., 1900-03-26
Bill Hrp'S Letter
written for The Constitutional

had not occurred to us that TINS was any
| cf our business but at WdycroSs anu
! Jesup and all along the line men anu
women were boarding the car like there
| was n carnival on hand and by the time
we arrived we could hardly get into the
| depot for the people. In the course oI
| time we got the leavingS of dinner an
| took a car for the Central depot, winch
| was to be our headquarters until y p H.
| From there we radiated down toward the
| DeSoto following the crowds that were
| gravitating that way. Seeing how they
| were massing on the broad sidewalk Just
| opposite the hotel my wife said: Let US
| stop here by this telegraph pole IL "dS
a fortunate selection for with the big pole
| behind her and the curbstone before her
she couldent be crowded to any extent
| In half an hour the crowd was immense
! and would have moved her from her
moorings but for the pole. l braced her
! or side side with two solid feet and urn
| cOrpCrosity. Expansion was the word anu
| | expanded. All sorts and sizes and coli
| Ors swarmed around US. but my wlle
| stood solid to her post. Another max
| hour passed but still there was no Dewey
sign ard 1 began to reel a little tired III
| nv legs and to draw long breath once
! or twice in a while[ Sometimes L would
! bend one knee a little for rest ana theh
| change TO the other. The street was kept
| clear by the mounted police, so that Inc
military could have distance to march III
| pIatoons but the military did not appear.
| Another half hour passed and we heaFu
| the solemn beats of a drum far away
| so | braced UP my knees for another ci-
| fort In the meantime fine carriages
| adorned with flags and bunting and beau
4 tiful ladies and swell gentlemen passed
| and repassed, but no soldiers was
! nearly ready to drop TO the marple nag
| stone on which we stood, but my VIE
! Eas. Tai nh al
| Cassabianca did to the mast. About thls
| time a little heather Chinee appeared
a. the big plate glass bay window and the
small boys cheered him, for he was
| Dewey's pet that he brought from Manila
! "a lad about twelve years old and as Sood
! looking a Chinee ever gets TO be Ny
! wife said that was sign. a forerunner,
| and sure enough Mrs. Dewey soon appear
ed and parted the lace curtain and gazed
upon the crowd and smiled. i was not
| Iookin, that way and my wife nudged
| me with her elbow and said there she IS
| but she had disappeared and l saw an
/ other lady in another window drinking
| cup of tea, and remarked she is older IMAM
| | thought she was and more thirsty ana
was then informed that | was looking al
| the wrong window. Still there was no
| sign that the show was about 70 begin
| and | drew another long breath and sigh
| ed cant you stand il little longer?
| said she Il am almost dead, said l.
| 'I would give so to be out Of this ana
| sit down somewhere Il was then
| o'clock and we had stood there three soma
| hours. My wife endeaVOred 10 dlsti~ct
| nv attention from myself to the flags ana
| To the small boys who had climbed 10 tIs
| copings of the windows and UP II the
| trees but | felt like l was at a funeral
/ and / was the corpse in the cotiln ~
last at last. Mrs. Dewey came again 10
1 the window and removed the lace cur
| tains and the admiral came with her
| ana waved his hand 20 the outside mul'l-
| tude, and everybody shouted. The i'm
/ portant crisis which were % have arrlven
/ had arrOVen. There was the great s4d-
| miral in full regalia and there was his
/ Wife radiant and smilinS-GresscU n q
| silver satin waist that was inodestly low
! cut i'm the breastwOrks, and my vile
/ could see diamonds sparkling and jewels
| shining from her hair to her waist but
/ couldent. for the window WAS not raised
/ and all that we SAW vas through d Glass
/ darkiy, and my eyes were never sflned
/ much bv diamonds. The admiral vas sick
/ and the doctors said .he air r1st not
blow on him. About this time the thrill
/ ing notes of the brass band came over the
I east wind and cheered the multitude and
my wife nudged me again and said. "IseEt
1 that beautiful?'' ''Toi arable' said /. for
/ my knees We're in a tremble and / Was
| considering how l could stand up any
| longer. | had not realized The difference
| in our ages until -hen, nor how it was
/ possible for her to outstaud me, but she
never faltered for moment. nor Gem
/ planned of anything. SiIe cane there 10
| see and she saw.
| Well. the military followed the band.
and that took another nalf an hour, for
there were thirty companies. inclLdlnS
infantry and the marines and the ca
dets and the artillery and ne cavalry and
/ so forth. | suppose the artillery are the
fellows what made the punch that made
| the admiral so sick. The artillery was
| drawn by the biggest mules l ever saw.
! and on each mule was Il big darkey ami
the guns We're little long things about as
| big as my arm-looked like toys compared
/ with the guns we had I'm the civil war.
/ | still do not understand what Jhey want
4 with such big mules to pull such little
/ guns. But At last. the show was over
| and nv wife said she &as willing to de-
/ part those coasts If il was possible to
/ get away. As the grand parade of the
I militrv was going on and the brass bands
/ were floating music in the air she nudsed
me and said: Il feel lust like shouting
I dont Nuu? Oh my country How We
/ nave lived together for over fifty years,
and we are no more alike about some
/ things than a mOckng bird is To a tuz-
/ Zard and I'm the buzzard. shouting"
/ said |. no. | feel more like Going home
| and going To bed. l wouldent Give ~
/ cents for the whole show with the heather
| Chinee throwed in. I'm worn out stand
/ ing on this cold, hard pavement. 1 won't
\ get over it in ii month" This world is
/ all d feeting show for mans illusion
/ given Vanity of vanities saith ths
preacher
1 but We did get away at last and I could
! near my knee bones crack as L took the
Ilrst few steps. When we got around -
/ the park Dewey's doctors said he might
| take a short ride and so he ana Mrs
Dewey passed US in carriage and We
/ mad good view of the loving couple. tie
| looked little punched. but she vas as
bright as Venus among the stars.
Altogether II was a great show and
! pleased my wife immen ely. She says
she would not have missed it for any
thlnS. And so l am satisfied. for all >
wei That ends well We are home again
ana found a glad welcome at the depot
from children and Grandch.idren. L tell
You that IN our little circle my " .fe and
l are of more consequence than Dewey
and his wife and The neathen Ck.nee all
cofhhihed BILL ARP.
A Rround Price for Cotton.
New York Commercial: Now l. a goos- time