Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1900-09-19

street for your number shoes TO
walk on?" "Is that ALL" said my
wife, and she laughed at me and said?
"Oh, you know l was just Joking. l
know that you have done the best you
could. l wouldn't swap you OFF for
anybdy. Now go and see If you can't
climb that new ladder you made yes
terday and get some squads for supper
tonight. There mrst be dozen or
more up there, and the girls have in
vited company to tea Ladders and
squads! Well. l tried the new ladder.
1t lis fourteen feet long and reaches up
TO the gable end or the smokehouse,
where the pigeons live. and by the
time | got nearly -;ithin reach didn't
know whether my head was swimming
or the ladder careenIng. and l just shut
my eyes and slid down with alacrity
like a fireman, and liked to have had n
fit ofnervous prostration, and my wife
Just laughed at me when | told her
am the boy, and she hasn't yet re-
allied that l am growing old. | go TO
the butchers and the bakers and the
postoflice and dig the potatoes and
hunt up chickens and eggs and bring
her fresh roses every morning and look
after the little grandchildren while she
takes her evening nap. l have lo:
OF letters to answer every day. and be-
fore I can finish one somebody wants
something done, and when night comes
am as tired as an old dray horse We
used to he rich, but now we are as
poor as Lazarus. But still we put on
airs and keep open house just like we
lid before the war. and our daily visi-
ors have to be entertained and | must
nelp do il. 4 stranger came the other
day while | was working the rosebeds
ard had charge of two little grand
children and my wife was mapping. He
took seat on Il bench and said he
came to see me about lying-the sin of
lying. This alarmed me for Il mo-
ment. Then he said that | was the
writer for the press and had influence,
and he wanted me To help him reform
the world about lying. And he told
me how the polit clans lied and the
newspapers lied and the mer, hants
lied and made their clerks to lie and
deceive heir customers and how the
lawyers he'd in the court house TO de-
ceive tre jury, and some OF the preach
ers mad got to lying and max ng up
sensational stories in the pulpit; He
was well posted and quoted scripture
and talked in a s,relm until got tired
OF his distractions. Then he asked nc
If lie or Il deception was justiEable
under any ciTcums;an ,es. | replied
that there were some white lies or de
ceptionS that ! thought were adms-
sble under certain circumstance. He
looked surprised and asked me TO give
him an instance or example Well,
said |. woman called on my wife yes
terday while she was in the kitchen
putting up peach pickles. This old
woman was long setting hen and MY
wife got very tired Of her, and at last
when she rose to leave. my wife said:
Cant you sN longer? Why are you
in such hurry? Well. do call again
GCon-lm sorry you can't SIT longer
The stranger spoke abruptly and said:
Your wife deceived her and did wrong
she ought TO have told her that she
was busy and must he excused Don't
you think so?" Well. now. said |. let
me put another case. You came here
and found me hard at work with my
coat off and | had two little children
TO watch, for my wife told me not to
let them get out of my sight. and now
they have gone. | must hunt them up,
and I've listened to your distractions
for half an hour and all to no prac-
teal purpose. suppose | should say to
you, my friend. YOU will have 10 eX-
cuse me; | must look after the chill
hren ana work my garden, and | reck-
on you had better go. What would
you think Of me and my rudeness Pic
looked surprised and grieved and said.
DO you mean it," No. said l. and If
/ did. 1t would be very impolite for me
to tell you so. had rather tell q lit
lie white lie-hadnt you? He was sill
ent for minute, and then said: We'll.
| reckon had better 60 and he bade
me an affectionate goodby.
But let us not forget the orphans
nor the day. There is no lie about
that. Sometimes feel like an orphan
MYSELF and wish my father and moth
er were here to comfort me | reckon
that is sign OF second childhood
Now | have n labor of love before
me- | shall compile that book OF poems
and l want help. Kind friends have
sent me 222 copies OF the poem asked
for and it will please me and help me
TO have the lovers OF good. pure poetic
literature send to me the titles of. say,
five or more OF their favorites and also
the names OF the authors. Address
Major Charles II. Smith, Gainesville.
Ga.-Bill Arp in Atlanta Constitution.
Held In Far Doun