The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-04-24
Bill Ar]p'S Letter
The Philosopher Loves the Children And
Thinks it May Mean That He is Grow
ing Old.

That pony and dog show is The
best entertainment for children ever
saw. | reckon that Professor Gentry
runs it for the money that Is IN II,
but nevertheless hc should be COM
mended and honorcd 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 admitted 10 haven by -.
Peter because he loved his fellow men
and maybe the professor Will get IN
because he worked 50 hard 10 please
the children. Children are 4 big thing
in heaven. Suffer little children To
come unto Me. for Of such is the king
dom Of heaven" is the sweetest verse
in the Bible to mothers and it utterly
naralyzcS the dogma Of infant damn
alton. | know there is plenty Of scrip
ture to establish the doctrine Of elec-
ton but | have never believed that it
applied to littleyrhildren. The mater
nal instinct abhOrS it.
But this pony and do" show Vas a
most beautiful street pageant and was
free to the hundreds who were too
poor to pay for the tent performance.
They ought to thank the professor
for that. | am poor myself. but
strained my pOcketDOOk and took all
our little folks in They are still
talking about it. The monkey who
played doctor and the pony who laid
down and eroaned and played sick
and the monkey who cured him and
1nev 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 are Of little things, little
dolls and puppies and klttens. little
horses and colts and calves, little tiny
babies and little chickens. Old folks
like little children and it 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
| am not so dreadfully stuck on the
average boys. When they are good
they are very good indeed. but when
they are bad they are horrid. One Tay
4 orand-chiid behaved SO bad at the
table that | told him he shouIdent
come any more. but should wait or
eat in the kitchen. When | Got up
and left he said: Gamma. papa get
tin mighty old. amt he Yes" She
said. Gamma, he'll die some time,
won't heo" But | do love the little
girls.
| am now in Florida again, for the
good people kept calling me and the
spring has come and everything down
here is 50 calm and serene thar ann
glad | accepted their invitations. The
loyal Daughters Of the Confederacy
are very strong in Florida and asked
for a little help and so | am here in
their behalf | had two hours in Sa-
vannah, but had to leave at 9 clock
in the morning and 50 did not see my
friends, for nobody gets up in Savan-
nah until dir2er time and some few
lie abed till next day That's what
Evan Howell told me. | travelled with
him all the way and enjoyed his com
pany, for he is always the same good
1al<er and he gavY me 4 graphic ac-
count Of his recent havana trip He
likes the Cubans. especially the Cas-
tilian classes, who. he says. are q
high toned. generous and honorable
people. He feared that our Occupa-
tion Of Cuba was going to be ju-
dical to Florida, but he stopped long
enough down here TO do away with
such apprehensions. Florida cannot
have q substitute and viii always be
the loveliest State in the Union he
natural sanitarium for our invaiidS
and the garden Of the South An old
Georgia fG-iend who has been here for
some months told me today ttat this
State never was in so prosperous con
dition as it is today and that there is
more money here per capita han
there is in Georgia, Every branch of
business industry is prosperiHg and
the people generally are contented
and happy. Howell says the worst
drawback upon the rural population
is the lack of good. cool. refreshing
water. He told about an old friend
of his who came down here for the
first time to visit an old acquaintance
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 Dol spring he left at home.
HIS Florida friend pulled down the
pole and the basket went down into
Il hole in the ground q few feet deep
and drew it up full OF braclliSh. tepid
water and said: Nov. Jim. Just help
yourself; drink right out of the buck
ct in the old-fashoned 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 10
my house III heat some for you"
1t is a beautiful prospect 10 look
from the trains al this country now
Every mile ." two YOU see the truck /
farm in a strut of vegetation. and the 4
especially attracted my
| dearly love to see them
by the acre and look upon the pink
and carnatiOn cOlOrs that mingle so
prettlly with the green leaves, " al
most every station the crates OF ber-
ries are piled up waiting for the eN
press trains to speed them TO market /
They are now bringing 81 a crate al
the producers station. and there is
in the business. Children. |
white and black. are seen picking
them. Little girls get three cents a
quart and little boys two and a half |
cents, for the girls handle them more