Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-10-16
is AWAY FROM HOME
Mrs. Arp Pays a Visit to laughter
and Grandchildren.
HER HUSBAND TELLS TIE STORY.
The SS-tow Philosopher Discusses
riatters That Might Please the
Good Woman Wien She Returns.

My wife went off to the country 20
spend the day with one of orr daugAt-
eTs and her children. We expected her
to return that evening, but goo a IN ss-
sage that she would SPEND the night
and the next day and maybe lonEe,
Thinks ] to myself. she wants me 10
send her word to come home. and {
wont. 1t has been Tong time S nee she
runaway. We missed her but msde no
.. sign Her chair was vacant. Her famjl-
lar voice, was no longer heard. The
pantry keys hung silen: on tlS. nail.
Nobody. called mo fronr-the wihdpM 10
stop working in the garden and rest
while the sun Was so hot. Nobody t0
sag the flour is out a. the bnminy or
the lard or somoth inc else. for some
thing is always out at our house Lit
rle grandchildren come to see us anc
don't stay long COS gamma y.int here
everything looks lilVe 4 funeral. Lone
some isent The word for It. There isnt
any word for she fes ling when the ma
tern9t ancestor is not cruising around.
when we cant heal' the tustle OF he
dress, nor tAe sound of her voice nor
sec, her 4Stit hing away on some infaD-
tile garment or reading over again
%, the last lCiters from the far away
boys.
But the girls gave me hint and
said now. was II good time t. paint he
kitchen and surprise her. for She has
been talking about those old dirty
dingy. smt'ky walls ever and anon
once or thrice in awhile SO opened
my big heart ami little purse and sent
for the painter to come early III the
morning. .hc came ant did nice job
of 1t in a day. The kitchen looks like \
parlor. The COOK woman caught on To
the surprise party and secured The Ia
bles and tin ware and then wena home
and put on a clean. new dress My
wife came nome this morning. We gave
her kind welcome, hut made 10 sign.
She was glad to get home and indulged
in. more hiliarity than usual. She cruis-,
ed around looking, nj familiar things
, and places, Soon she wandered to-
ward the kitchen and we kept in hail
ing distance and watched her. Sudden
iy there was. n scream of delight la
she looked in at the open door: "Wcll.
i do declare Did ! ever" That is all
i she. said just then, FOR she turned ana
.come hastily 40 me and kissed me.
,iSbe took me by surprise. for she quit
kissing me years ago. That kiss more
than paid for the paint and the paint
ing. These tie sweet surprises are
j. the best part of domestic life. They
beat wealth and high life and political
honors and fame and are the next
thing 10 religion for they are founded
IN love.
..'All thoughts, all passions. all delights
Whatever strs this mortal frame,
All are but ministers OF love
And feed its sacred flame.
These are the songs of birds m the
trees-the flowers by the waysdt that
comfort us in the journey OF life. Song
birds and flowers! There is nothing in
the wide world that gives such empha-
els to the love OF God for His creatures.
We need food and raiment and OF
= course, the human family would perish
without them. But birds and flowers
the extra gifts to minister to our sen
ses our emotions. How fortunate for
us that as we grow older we love them
better. When | was very busy man
: and had ambition TO rise in the world
and advance my wife and children
cared little for birds or flowers, but
now they are my especial pleasure.
"a Now understand the meaning OF that
beautiful verse, Consider the lilies
how they grow. They toll not. neither
do they spin. yet Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one Of
these" He who provideth food for ra-
vens and takes notice OF every spar
row that falls to the ground will surely
take care OF us IL we trust Him. be-
lieve there are but two kinds Of flowers
named in the Bible-the rose OF Sha-
ron and the lily OF tho valley-ant
these two stand preeminent today for
beauty and fragrance. or late l have
rncPhudS they
unfold their leaves and open into beau
ty. How wonderfully they are folded
upon the little cone md every layer is
waiting for it's time and turn to come
forth and breath the air and take on
colors from Gods sunlight. No human
fingers could refold them and make a
hnd again. The birth of beautiful rose
rs a miracle. 1t, passes comprehension
and excites our wonder only. Just so s
the feather OF a bird. Tne microscope
shows the most Wonderful mechanism
In its delicately woven fabrc-its
strength and its gossamer lightness.
Then look carefully at the frame work
OF the seed pods that shoot up from the
dandelion. Human fingers cannot ap-
proach them in structure. They are eX-
quiste and must come from the hand
of God There is limit to the perfec
: ton OF everything that is made by
man. but there Is none to the works OF
nature THE finest cambric needle looks
like a blunt pointed Ale under the nj
croscope. but the point OF bees sting
Is invisible. wish that the young
folks would sometimes stop and think
and study nature. 1t would refine them
In thought and feeling and excite 4