The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-09
BILI, ARP AND HIS CHILDREN
He Has a Good Time Watching
the Grandchildren Play With
Their Toys.

This Christmas is like "lengthene
sweetness long drawn out" at OF
house, for the boys have 9athere
from the four corners and brougl
their love and their rations with then
New York brought huge box of d,
corations for the Christmas tree.
was beautiful beyond description
Dolls OF silk and satin and paper, a
covered with glittering spangles-ittl
angels with pearly wings suspended b
threads of invisible rubber, COLDER
harps and hearts and wrealhs of spul
glass in rainbow colors rs-scorcs OF littl
Waxen candles to illuminate the scene
Oh, ii WAS like fairy vision, anc
every limb and twig of the stately lon!
leaf pine was burdcncd with Christ
mas gifts for old and young. Their,
were twenty-four of the family present
and it took half the night to unite an,
unfold the surprises, for all were re
membered over and over again by ole
Santa, Yes, all, even TO the venerable
old patriarch-the "Paterfamilas," ;" the
antique ancestor, for he brought me
BAL and monkey jack and some
candy, because he had heard that ]
was the boy-the only boy-about the
house. But later on | discovered q
silk cap and pair of slippers, some
handkerchiefs and an inkstand that the
little grandchildren can't spill the ink
out of if they do turn it over.
Little Mary Lou, who is Jcssie's
child, got 30 many dolls and pretty
things that she looked tired and, draw
ing long breath, said: "Ganpa, it's
too much, and can't hardly stand it"
There were toys and books, and vases
and perfumes, and baskets and gloves,
and jewels and other gifts too Dumer-
Gus to mention. Mexico brought a
beautiful hand-woven Caslilan shawl
for my wife, and she struts around as
hthe and gay as Eden's garden bird
My boy brought 1t from Mexico ~
she says, forty times day. =" My boy
and my children" are always on the tip
OF her tongue. Well, that's all right.
Ihey are her boys, sure enough, and
she knows it. There may be some
doubt, sometimes, about who is the
father OF child, but everybody knows
who is it's mother. Downstairs has all
been clothed with mistletoe and holly.
Geraniums from the pit are placed all
around, and some beautiful roses lift
up their lovely forms from beautiful
vases that old Santa Claus brought.
lunches of mistletoc hang from every
chandelier, and every time these merry,
mischievous girls find me standing
under one, they slip up unawarcs and
claim kiss. Even Mrs. ARP lost her
normal dignity and, coming slyly be.
hind me, suddenly wrapped the drapery
OF her Castiian shawl around me and
claimed mistlctoe kiss from my con-
aubial lips.
But the old marble clock that for
nearly fifty years has stood upon the
mantel ticking the moments and re-
cording the hours as they pass did not
stop on Christmas night, and at mid
night the happy group retired to rest
and happy dreams. Next day came
the feast--thc Christmas dinner. Every
leaf was placed ON the long extension
table. AT each end was large we'll
Drowned, well.done turkey, and all the
intermediate space crowded with luxu-
rles for the inner man and woman.
Eighteen of the family were the well
come guests at the table, while SIX of
the infantiles surrounded smaller one
nearby. l never asked blessing with
more grateful heart, for Providence
has been kind, and since last we met
no afdiction or calamity has befalen
US. Vorily, the lines have fallen to us
in pleasant places. Would that all our
Kindred and friends-yes, would that
every family in the land-thc rich and
the poor-couli have like happy and
unclouded Christmas. AS l survey
the happy scene it is enough to look
upon the serenity Of the maternal an
cestor as she gazes fondly upon her
boys-yes, her boys, who have come
30 far to give hel JOY and comfort. Oh,
ye boys -ye young men and middle
aged, whom fortune or fate has re-
moved far from good old mothers
tender care and sclicitude, do..'t forget
her yearnings and If YOU cannot 90 to
her at least once year, write to her
every month and comfort her with
your loving letters. The papers are
full OF crimes of all descriptions, but
In my opinion, there is none that will
more surely provoke the curse Of God
than for man to neglect or dlstress
his mother.
Yesterday the boys with their moth
er and sisters visited the old home
stead--the farm in the country, where
our children grew up to manhood and
womanhooI--where those scattered
boys worked and plowed and planted
and reaped where they had sown;
where they ytlabored bard by day and
hunted coonssand 'possums by night;
where they went to the nabor:ng mill
and ilshed in the pond while the gust
was grinding; whore Carl and Jessie
went to school and crossed tho creek
on slendar footlog, and gathered haws
and maypops and wild strawberries on
the ways Those boys and their sisters
wanted toarevisit the old scenes and
drink water from the same old gush-
ing spring. These boys wanted to see
the old meadow where the big trees
stood in their majesty-the oak trees
that we had named for Roscoe Conk-
ling and Blaine, and the big sycamore
that was named for Voorhees,, the tall
sycamore Of the Wabash.
They wanted TO see the old barn.
yard where they used to tease old Pete,
the biorino mm, and incite him to rear
OH bis hind legs and run To butt thom
as they presented their posteriors in a
dslAnt and provoking m ,rner. Some
times they got out Of h.s way just in
ht,A u