Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-03-06
VOL. TX.
BILL ARP,S LITTER.

HOSC llIltS are tne DeSlnulIlR Oh
some verses | wrote in school girls
album tifty-four years ago. The little
book is near me now. 1t is old and
war-worn and it makes me sad to turn
its leaves and read the pretty verses
that adorn its pages. The authors
were her best friends and all are dead
but one-the one now writing this
letter. "Friend after friend departs
who has not lost friend?" This
album was captured during the up-
civil war and carried away to Babylon
and kept a prisoner in a strange land
for twenty one years and then was re-
turned through the mail. 1t takes
conscience long time to bring re-
pentance to some people. That school
girl is my wife--she is now sitting by
her window sewing, making a little
dress for grandchild. Will she
never stop making little garments?
| asked Jessie last night how many
garments it took for her little Caro-
line III each and every year, and she
counted them up-eight little dresses,
ten petticoats, four pair day drawers,
two pair night drawers and one cloak
say twenty-five garments for winter
and as many more for summer, and
she makes most all of them herself.
My wife has done all this for ten
children until they were fifteen years
old. Fifty times ten makes 500, and
800 times ID makes z, 800 garments
and she still keeps working on. But
she is not worn out nor thin nor pale
nor haggard nor is her eye dimmed
when she has on her gold bound
glasses. Oh, these good old mothers.
Mine did the same thing for her flock
and my wife's mother the same for
hers and so do they all-except some.
| loved my mother dearly, but it
grieves me sometimes that / did not
love her better, for ! did not realize
how much she did for me and how
her very sou! was wrapped up in her
children. Stop young man, stop and
think, when you are far away from
home rollicking and frolicking with
your gay companions-stop some
times, stop and think of your good
mother and write to her loving
letter. Hopeful and sad she waits
for every mail and never despairs
But about albums. friend has
left his with me for perusal-one of
these old time mental Photographic
albums with about twenty questions
TO be answered. | have seen them
before and was amused at the answers,
but this one interested me for its
pages contain an autobiography of
many noble and notable men. 1t
tells condensed story of their emo
tional and mental character. When
man of thought is asked to write
an answer to a question he is both
,,I -, II
he is making an exhibit of his inner
life to every one who reads it.
This album begins with Alex
Stephens in 1874 and then follows
with Robert Toombs, Herschel v.
Johnson, General Kirby Smith, James
X. Randall: Richard Malcolm John
son, l.. q. c. Lamar, Richard IL.
Clark, John b. Gordon Thomas NJ.
Norwood, Rev. M. Palmer, Henry S.
Foote, Logan f. Bleckley, Robert j.
Burdette, Paul III. Hayne; Joel
Chandler Harris. Wallace =. Reed
Mrs. Octavia Walton lie Vert, Judge
Hook, Richard A. Proctor, the great
astronomer, and others. Every name
is noble and notable, and their an
swers are indexes to their characters
Stephens's favorite books are Milton.
Pope and Shakespeare, his heroine
Rebecca in "Ivanhoe;'' his hero
Washington; his occupation reading
and farming; his best trait in man is
truth, and in woman modesty.
Toombs' favorites are Shakespeare
and Tom Moore, Gibbons and Ma
cauley; his characters in fiction
Rienzi, in history Socrates; his fav-
orite occupation building air castles;
best trait in man justice, in woman
charity; the sum of human happiness
is to make others happy.
Governor johnson likes Pope, Mil
ton and Byron and Swedenborg.
knows nothing of romance; his best
characters Washington and Jefferson:
his occupation reading and writing;
the highest traits truth and benevo-
lcnce; his watchword duty.
Kirby Smith likes GRAY. Young
and Tennyson, Scott, Irving and
Macauley; his favorite characters Sir
Gallahad and ST. Paul; his favorite
occupation making love to my Wife"
his best traits In man are truth and
honesty; the sum of happiness con
tentment.
James Il. Randall likes Shakespeare
and Byron, Bulwer, Thackery and
Macauley; his favorite character in
romance Is Warrington in "Penden-
mis-, y in history Fenelon; occupation
reading and writing: the highest
trait In man devotion to principles,
in woman modesty; the sum of hu-
man happiness is resignation.
X. Nj. Johson liked Byron, Scott,
Keats and Mrs. Hemans, Macauley,
RnI n,NI (.nlIo,-..l. 1.