The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-18
ATLANTA Constitution.

The record is broken. Out of twenty
one grand children the first marriage was
celebrated yesterday. A granddaughter
has found a mate and gone off with him.
That is all right. 1t is according to ma
ture and there is nothing to cry about
when the young folks have chosen wisely
and well. There is no goodlier sight in
all nature than to see a good looking
healthy young man, who is making an
honest living standing up at the altar
with sweet, good tempered, affection
ate, Industrious girl and the parents on
both sides approving the match. Mar
riage is very serious business, and
my observation has been that those
made among the well-to-do common
people are generally happier than those
made in cities among the families of the
rich. Children raised to work and wait
on themselves make better husbands and
better wives than those raised in luxury
1t is mighty hard for a man to please
his wife and keep her in good humor if
she has been petted by her parents and
never knew want and had no useful
work to do. She soon takes the ennui
or the conniptions or the don't know
what / want and must go back to ma.
young girl who never cleaned up her
own room or made any of her own
clothes or helped to nurse her mothers
baby and did nothing but dress and visit
and go to the theater will never make
good wife. This wife and mother bust
ness is hard work. The mother of six,
eight or ten children has seen sights. She
knows what care is and anxiety and
sleepless nights and one of these butter
fly women can't stand it. One child will
dry her up ard two will about finish
her and if it was not for condensed milk
the children would perish to death like
the calves in Florida. where the cows
don't give enough milk to color the cof-
fee and they have to raise the calves on
the bottle
But our grandchildren are all of good.
healthy working stock. We have raised
ten of our own and the Lord has blessed
them in form and feature and old Agurs
prayer has saved them from poverty and
riches. 1 have worked and so has my
wife and our children worked and have
held their own and are now helping US
in our old age. / won't say what I have
done all of rnese fifty three years of mar
ried life, but my wife has made over a
thousand little garments with her own
hands before ever a sewing machine was
brought to our town and she found time
to keep me in plated bosom shirts be-
sides. l bought the first machine that
came-a Grover & Baker, for SIPS. The
next, Wheeler e. Wilson, for 500, and
so on down and now we have a Home
and Farm for $40, which is the best we
ever had. 1t is worth mentioning that
Howe, the first inventor, could not get
his machine introduced in this country
for ten years and had it patented in Eng
land and all the use they had for it there
was to stitch the soles on to boots and
shoes.
Yes, our pretty granddaughter has
mated and married and gone. Julia
Smith is now Mrs. Julian Smith-not
much change in her name was there
only added the little letter IN" We
gave him a cordial welcome into our
family, for we have heard nothing but
good concerning him and commend our
grandchild to the good people of Selma,
and the good State of Alabama, which is
our own Georgia's daughter. There may
they rest and live long and prosper"
l am still sick. AS the lawyers say, 81
living do languish, and languishing do
live" but l am on the upgrade and my
swollen eXtremities are reducing their
compass and my wife says it will soon
be time to plant sweet peas and trim up
her rose bushes. Two months from yes
terday will be the fifty fourth anniver-
sary of our wedding and the children and
grandchildren have promised to gather
at the materna mansion and rejoice to-
gether over the Lords goodness unto u.s.
But l must stop now, for it tires me
to write. My daughter who helps me
is teaching school and l get tired from
bending over to my work. I feel like
saying with Byron
''What is writ is writ
Would it were worthier-but my visions
fit
Less palpably before me and the glow
That in my spirit dwelt
Is f1uttering faint and low
Well, the little pamphlet iof General
H. r. Jacksons great epoch and par
of Dave Webster's at Capon Springs is
now ready. Send to my friend, Ed Hol-
land, Atlanta, Ga, and get it. 1t VIII
be postpaid for 20 cents. My last book
is about ready. Send to Mr.. c. P. Bryd.
printer and publisher, Atlanta, Ca, and
get that, postpaid, for s1.25. My Wire
says the first two chapters would b.
worth the money if l hadn't told some
stories on her. BILL ARP.