The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-10-04
BILL ARP'S LETTER
An Earnest and Urgent Plea For
Georgia's Orphaned Children.
REMEMBER THE 18th OF THIS MONTH
william Would Like to See LOCALIZED
Day Set Apart For the Fatherless
and Motherless Ones.

Come now, let's divide out. There
are 300 good working days in the year.
Suppose we call one of them orphans
day. We have Labor Day and Wash
ington's birthday and independence
day and other days set apart for OBJ
servance, why not have day for the
orphans of Georgia? The orphanage
at Decatur is in great need and the
good men in charge have asked the
people to give the 29th day of this
month to their service, the labor and
earnings of one day. What better cad
we do with it? Madam DeStael sal
that our bank account in heaven woulN
be made up of the money we gave away
in charity while we lived upon the
earth.
Huntington died worth $50, 100000,
but he could not take it with him, and
it is feared that he will have a very
small bank account up yonder. He
could have endowed hundred or
phanages and had plenty left for his
kindred. Surely we can all give some
thing on that day. am going to give
80. Mr.. Crumley shan't shake his
Methodist locks at me. che that
giveth to the poor lendeth to the
Lord" "And now, if you like the
security down with the dust" as the
old Scotch preacher said when he sent
around the hat for charity. The word
fatherless means an orphan-a child
bereft Of protecting parent, either
father or mother, or both
The word motherless is not in the
Bible, but the word fatherless includes
it, and it is found in the scriptures
thirty eight times, and is always cou-
pied with q reward to those who be-
friend the orphan, or some calamity
upon those who oppose them. Job
says, eff have lifted my hand against
the fstherless, may mine arm fall from
my shoulder blade" and st. James
says, "Pure religion is to visit the
fatherless and the widow in their af-
Fiction" Good friends, it will not do
to say you have never wronged the
orphans. Neglect of them is a wrong.
If nobody gave what would become Of
them? Everybody ought to give
give according to your pursa-give as
the Lord has blessed you. II is peril
not to give. st. Peter keeps the books,
and l want him to find my name on
them with a good bank account at
tached.
1 had funny conference with my
wife about this She says she will
give dollar if [ will work it out.
"What do you want me to do?" said I.
"The window cord is broken, she said,
land the side. board lock is ont of or
der, and the long-handled broom that
I brush down the spider webs with
is worn out and needs another
on it," as that ALP" said I.
"Ohl no. The hall papering is peel
ing off and needs repasting, and there
is leak in the roof over the dining
room" SIS that all?" seid I. well,
you can finish the day sitting the
ashes and putting some around the
rose bushes. Mr.. Berckman's book
says that ashes are good fertilizer
for the roses"
pondered owhile and then ventur-
ed to ask where she was going to get
the dollar to pay me. why, from
you of course" she said. "Where did
you expect me to get it? Didn't I give
you everything l had, and didn't you
promise to give me everything you
had? Didn't you say, With all my
worldly goods thee endow?' What's
mine is mine and what's yours is mine,
too, according to that" "But my DEAR"
said I, "haven't supported you and
maintained you for all these years and
responded to every want and wish l
could?" "Why, yes, of course you
have; but if a wife was to keep &C.
counts with her husband she would
bring him in debt every time. Board
and clothing don't pay for nursing and
night watching and sewing and darn
ing and housekeeping and raising up
ten children through infancy and
childhood, and doctoring measles and
whooping cough and boils and collie,
etc. I made a thousand little gar
ments for them with my needle be-
fore there was ever sewing machine
invented"
"Yes," said I, 81 remember; and
you nhdC IOuL OWN ClOLucb auu IL y
shirts-my plated bosom shirts, with
pearl buttons-yes, remember. !
can't find any as good now" Then
she remarked: You couldn't get good
housekeeper for less than 800 per
year, could you? And that would make
over 80, 200, and the interest COM
pounded would make five times as
much more that you owe me, and you
usk me where am going to gee the
dollar" "But hold on my DEAR" said
I, lyon forgot that had to support
and educate your ten childreh-you
always call them yours-and that old
Abe Lincoln set all your 'niggers'
free, and that the war broke me all up
and I've had to scuffle for living ever
since, and l give you money when
ever you ask for it, and keep you in
cologne and camphor and liver medi-
cine and missionary money and little
nrasents for the children and grand