The Atlanta constitution., 1900-04-30
Bill Hrp'S Letter



o,,astiore tbat v-as discussed in our debat-
inc soc;etv was "Is There Such Thing
as Disinterested Benevolence?" The af-
firmative side generally gained the VIC
tory, and ought to, though it must De
admitted that seltishness is at the DOL
tom of many acts of charity ana pre-
tended friendship. Indeed, disiIiteres'eu
benevolence is so rare that w:ich d "ei4
thenticated case occurs ii is talKeo "oou'
ard gets in the newspapers. In the oiuen
times it became a matter OF history anu
has ccme down to us like the parabio Vi
the good Samaritan and the story OF Da-
mon and Pythias. Indeed, IL our laiiieie
ed soldier boy, Sam Davis. who died ram
er than betray a friend, had hVed III
Roman times he. too. would nave coiiio
down to us as a sainted hero. Ihere are
KNIGHTS of Damon and Knigts OF PythiaS
and there ought to be knights OF odih
Davis Parental love- fraternai love. con-
jugaI love are not to be counted III lheSS
historic incidents. Such love Is 10 10
expected from those relations. 1hal goou-
ness of heart which prompts man "
befriend those who are no KIN TO hlfh anu
from whom he expects no reward Is ais
interested benevOlencr. Samuel Davis was
the highest type of loyalty TO friendship
that history makes any record or ~ ythlaS
was condemned by DionysiuS 10 sulIer
death for a crime of which he was guii-
ty, He begged for a short respite TO so
home and arrange his family affairs. ana
Damon took his place in prison and agreed
to die for him If he failed to return But
he did return, and Dionysius was so i'm
pressed with admiration for their love for
each other that he pardoned Pythias ana
became the friend of both. But Samuel
Davis had no friend to take his place.
nor was the federal officer who condemn
ed him as merciful as Dionysius- lie
died to save the life of a federal officer
who might have saved him. but did not.
That soldier kept his own secret and
keeps it yet If he is alive. What an op-
portunity he had to save his friend and
immortaIize himself. No doubt he, too
would have been perdOned. as PythiaS
was. Mr. Lincoln would have pardoned
Sam Davis if he had known of 1t
/ wish that every boy in the southland
knew of the sad and glorious death u
this Pulaski hero. Tennessee has state
history. / know. but do not know wheth-
er the story is in il or not. If 1t is not
II should be recorded there in the next
edition. NY good friend, Sumner Cum
ningham. has done all he could to make
il historical in The Veteran and TO have
a noble monument erected to his memory.
1t IS a comfort to know that many fed
eraI soldiers and many big hearted people
from the north have contributed largely
to it.
Goldsmith's Hermit IN his sore dis
appointment asks:
"And what is friendship but a name
A charm that lulls 10 Sleep?'
But when his Angelina found him he
sang a different song. True friendship
is like the love of God. 1t is an emana-
tion from divinity. Kindness of heart
whether to man or beast, brings its own
reward The pretty story of AndrocIuS
and the lion has come down TO us through
nineteen centuries. Much ado is belh5
made over abstruse theological questions,
but the fourth chapter of the first eplsue
of John is creed enough for all mankind.
Selfishness is so much the sin of the
world that IT has come TO be proVerp,
Every man for himself and the deNi
take the hindmost." ''Oh Lord. bless me
and nv wife. my son John and his Wife,
us four and no MORE is the common
PRAYER. The ostentatious charities of the
mfIlionaires are nothing in the sight OF
God-nothing compared with the widow
mite. Their accumulations came in drops
from the sweat of TIE people ana LOT
every gallon they get they pour back hi-i
a gill in the jug and are satlSlled Inc
rest they keep for the succession and the
succession goes to law to escape the IN
heritance tax. My son John and his VIE
want it all.
No. there are thousands Nf acts of dis
interested kindness, but they are Generally
among the humble. common people. Laws
grind the poor, and rich men rule the
law" wrote Goldsmith 10 years ago. ana
il is the same way yet, but still the com
mon people are able to live in this blesseo
country and to help one another in DIS
tress Wherever we go we witness ut
tie deeds Of kindness-little acts of love
While travelling In Florida me- long ago
an old lady was carefully helped onto the
train by the conductor. She was umld
and feeble. and said sne wanted TO 20 TO
see her daughter at Wildwood, who was
very sick You wont carry me Dy. VIII
your she asked in a pleading tone. mo,
ma am. / will not" he said. Il will surely
stop the train and help you OIL Don't
be alarmed at all. l Will take good care
of YOU" And he did. Every little while
he went 10 her and quieted her fears.
When we reached the junction where the
train backs to Silver Springs he came 10
me and another veteran and invited US to
walk back to the rear end of the next car
and see the beautiful country and the
springs that we were nearing. We did
So and then he politely helped US down
and onto the platform that overlooks the
beautiful spring, and then conducted US
! am sure his civility came from mis- rev.
erence for age and his natural kindness
of heart. Just before we reached Ocala L
inquired his name, and he said: Ny
name is Beckham. Governor of Ken
tuckyT' said / smiling. NO. said ne.
but my uncle is. The governor is my
fathers brother" Well that settles it.
/ am for Governor Beckham now against
the world. for L am sure he is from good
stock
l don't know when l have felt so well
rewarded as l was at Jasper. where a
handsome. hardy man came TO see me and
said. Il have come nine miles TO see
you and to hear you for my mothers
sake. She lives in North Carolina, and
when, l wrote to her that you Were TO
be here soon she wrote back that / must
come and see you and thank you for that
letter you wrote begging the absent boys
TO write letters home to their Mothers
My young friend said that his mother sent
a copy of that letter 10 each OF her boys
and they had not failed since then 10
write to her every week.
Well there is comfort in that. The yearn-
ings OF these dear old mothers for their
boys who are far away and do not writs
distresses me. The boy ought to write
once "A week If possible; once a month
anyhow. If he is behaving himself ha
will do il and If he does not do IL it Is
bad sign. BILL ARP.
Books of the Old Testament.