The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-12-20
ARP And CHILDREN.
Bill Likes To See The Little 0aes at
Play.
ALL LOVE THEIR GRANDPA.
Arp Sees Great Many Beautiful
Things in Life, and Does Not Sigh
for Death.

These little chaps alarm me-alarm
me with their innocence. their happi-
ness, their love, for have a forebod-
ing that it cannot last. Life is full of
sorrows and they will have their
share. 1t is the common lot. One mel
ancholy poet says: Man was made
to mourn Another says: Il would
not live always" but | like that one
better who wrote The world is very
lovely. Oh, My God, | thank Thee
that l live" From my window al
most every day see two little girls.
only four and six years old, turning
the corner and coming up through the
grove to see grandma and grandpa and
be petted and OF course, be feasted
with biscuit and jelly and apples and
to nurse the cat and play with their
little cousins fine Paris doll They al
ways come hand in hand and with
clean faces and ribboned hair and We
meet them at the door. for they bring
sunshine to our hearts and home. |
love to have them climb into the back
of my big chair and bother me while
/ write, and | have to stop and draw
pictures for them and to hear the lit.
tie one call me her good old for moth
ing gran'pa. The other day | met
them going another way and they said
they were going to see their other
grandma. Yes" said |. you have
two grandmas, but you haven't got but
one grandpa" The little one looked
UP lovingly to me and said: I'VE don't
need any more" | bought a fine tur-
key for the boys who are coming and
the little girl surveyed him and said:
Camp he is running at the nose and
it's bloody 1t was the older one
who said the turkey is sick, 1 reckon,
for he keeps vomiting.
Dean Swift was cynic and had no
love for children. He said that an
author who talked about his own
books was as silly as a mother who
was ever telling something smart
about her children. reckon he would
say that grand parents were more
silly than mothers. l confess that it
is good part Of my happiness now to
mingle with and TO pet the little grand
children and that is why | feel alarm
ed for fear something will ylppen to
them before | die or that | will die
before they get old enough TO love me
with love that will not forget. and |
think Of Tom Moore and his gazelle
that died. / don't know where my
spirit will be but it seems to me now
that l would like TO have these little
ones bring flowers my grave some.
times and talk about me. What would
the world be without children, for OF
such is the kingdom OF heaven. Just
imagine for moment the desolation,
the despair that would pervade the
home and society and trade and CON-
merce-not a day school in all the
land nor Sunday school; not a little
shoe or stocking, nor little hat, nor
a doll or toy in any store; no castoria
or soothing syrup or other infantile
medicines; no fireworks, no Christmas
nor Santa Claus; no nothing hardly.
for it is fact that the world is work
ing for children. The cynics say that
marriage is failure. Suppose it is
in many cases. Children are not fail
ures. Divorces may stifie the love OF
man and wife, out they still love the
children and contend for the posses
sion OF them
Good schools build UP towns and
communities and the children make
the schools. Country people move to
town to educate them What woai,.
become of the 1000 teachers in the
state OF Georgia? What would the pub
fishers do with all their schoolbooks
and picture books? Who would go to
picnic or monkey show? What ex-
cuse would men folks have for going
to the circus? Wouldent it be lone
some, no account world?
But marriage Is not failure. 1t
could not be, for it was ordained by
God. One or two unhappy marriages
in community sets all the dogs bark
ing Divorces are multiplying, but
only among the very rich or the drum
ken poor. Money or whiskey are the
cause of most Of them and in nine
cases out of ten the man is to blame.
There is but one scriptural ground for
divorce and nine men are guilty of
that to one woman. Poor, long suffer-
ing woman. How silently, secretly and
sadly you have to endure what yon
know. but cannot tell, and all you can
do is to hug your children all the
closer to your bosom and trust in
God.
was Illuminating about children be-
cause am away off from mine and on
my way here passed country school
house Just as the children were pillirg