The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-12-11
BILL ARP'S LETTER
The Philosopher Writes Touchingly
of Dead Poet
HE GIVES US MANY QUOTATIONS
The Barlow Sage In a Reminiscent
Mood Speaks of Poetry That Gives
Us Noble Feelings.

heard of him until the other day, when
q brief notice in New York paper at
tracted my attention. For sixty years
he was a musical composer and
writer of songs. He was the author OF
many of the sweetest pieces that ever
charmed our households, and yet We
never heard OF him. Fifty years ago
my wife used to play, Come listen
to the mockingbird," and accompa-
MED her on the flute. and was proud Of
my skill Then there is What Is Home
Without Mother" and whispering
Hope" aud How Sweet Are the
Roses" He made over 1000 musical
compositions and published books Of
instruction for every kind of musical
instrument. After the seven days fight
before Richmond. Mcclellan was re-
moved because of his defeat and Hal
leck was put in his place. This dis
pleased the soldiers very much. for
they were proud OF Little Mac" and
loved him. and so Winner took Up
their grievance and wrote song and
composed the music. Give Me Back
Ny Old Commander" The air was sim
pie and the words pathetic and it snon
was caught BY the amy OF 10000 men,
and could be heard for miles along the
lines and in the camps. 1t was inSpir-
ing and significant and made Stanton
mad. He said it was demoraliZing and
an insult to General Haleck and must
be stopped. and he issued an order to
that effect. OF course, the boys stopped
singing in the daytime or on the march,
but away in the dead of night whole
regiment would break out, "Oh. give
us back our old commander Then
Stanton ordered it's publication stopped
and threatened to arrest Winner. But
Winner had sold the copyright and
couldn't stop it. A famous singer dared
to sing ii on the stage in New York
city, and she was warned not to do so
any more. but she repeated it, and
Stanton had to give it up and let it
wear itself out. Winner was the winner
OF that fight, and Stanton made a fool
of himself
composer who was very dear to us i'll
his day. and charmed millions with his
exquisite melody. We old-fashioned
people still call upon our children to
comfort us with "Old Folks at Home"
-'Uncle Ned" 20, Susannab," "Oid Dog
Tray" Nellie Bly," and MY Old Ken
lucky Home" The royalty on this last
piece made him a good sum of money.
What would the travelling minister
have done without his songs. But in his
last years he aspired to higher plan
OF composition. and wrote such beau
tiful pieces as Come Where My Love
Lies Dreaming" He was man of fine
culture and familiar with many for
eign languages. He, too, is dead and
there has no cne come to take their
fireside songs.
Shapespeare says. 1.-The evil that
men do lives after them. The good Is
often inferred with their bones" Well,
II Is often, but lot always. Isaac Watts
has been dead one hundred and fifty
years, but his beautiful hymns and his
cradle songs are still familiar to every
Christian household. Hush, my dear.
lie still and slnmber," has soothed to
sleep thousands Of little children. Let
dogs delight to bark and bite" Is the
first little speech of childhood, and
next comes How doth the little busy
bee.' The hymn books Of ali Christian
churches abound in his beautiful
verses, such, as When Can Read My
Titles Clear, There Is a Land of Pure
Delight" and While the lamp holds
out to burn, the vilest sinner may re-
turn" These were not inferred with
his bones and will live through the
ages.
Sometimes the man or woman who
cid the good is forgotten, but the good
remains. Not one church member in
thousand in this country knows who
wrote the Doxology that Is sung all
over the world. Praise God from
whom all blessings fiow." Thomas Ken
has been dead two hundred years. bu.
those four lines will live and doubtless
he Is In heaven and hears more of his
own verse and music than any saint
around the throne of God. Shakespeare
might have said with more truth,
The good that men do lives after
them" Our venerable Judge Warner
went north in his old age to revisit the
home Of his youth and found the town
adorned and shaded with beautiful
elms around the churches aud along
the sidewalks-trees that he planted
half a century before and had never
seen since he came to Georgia to teach
school. The high tops Of those trees
seemed to reach the sky and men and
women walked and children played
under their shade, but not human
being in that town remembered him'or
knew who planted those trees. He
found one old schoolmatc, but he was
blind and in the poor house. Fifty-fye
years ago when first visited the little
town Of Rome noticed a good old man
by the name of Smith-Johnny Smith
he was called-and he, too, was plant
Ing little trees around the churches
He was lover Of ornament and he was
doing it without pay, but no: without
reward. They grew apace and gave
some shade before he died. and kept
on growing until they. too almost
reached the sky and are still there.
living, breathing monument to the
good old man. But who knows who
planted ttem-who besides myselfo
z And there is my old friend and part
i.ei, Juoge Branham. who for twcn-
fy-fve years has been working on that
beaufifu1 cpn1etnry On MyrtIo Hill