The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-07-23
BILL ARP.
7

tired. l feel like Lord Byron did when
he penned his beautiful farewell to
Childe Harold:
Il am not now that which l have
been and my visions fit less palpably
before me, and the glow that in my
spirit dwelt is 1uttering faint and
low"
But | will not say farewell to my
readers. l can still feed on the happi-
hess around me and rejoice with the
children and the birds and the flowers.
Every day l visit the garden and gath
er flowers for the neigEbors, the sick
and the bereaved. They are treasures
c. delight and of love and every house.
hold can have them If there is a moth
er or a daughter there. and yet there
are families who have none and care
for none, not even a vine over the
door or a gate to the front yard. Would
6 young man be fool enough to marry
a girl who was not fond OF flowers?
The Bible tells Of diamonds and pearls
and precious stones, but there is no
comparison so beautiful as those con-
corning flowers. 81 am the rose OF
Sharon ard the lily Of the valley
Consider the lilies, how they grow.
They toll not neither do they spin,
and yet Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one Of these" Solo
mon had them sculptured in the mar
BILE affairs Of his temple. There Is
nothing in all nature so varied Ia its
uses. Their beauty and fragrance are
a pleasure and a comfort to u hearts
best and purest emotions.
Bring flowers, bring flowers FOR thu
bride to wear,
They were born to blush in her shining
hair,
Bring flowers, fresh flowers, DER the
bier to shed,
A crown for the brow Of the early
dead;
They smile in vain for what once was
ours.
They are loves last gift. bring flowers
pale flowers,
They speak Of hope to the ~fainting
heart,
With a voice of promise they come and
part"
Almost every day we cut fresh flow
ers for the grave yet green under the
sod that covers the maiden daughter
If friends dear to us and whose hearts
will not heal until time and trust shall
heal them.
She has gone from their gaze like a
beautiful dream"
Today is one Of no small importance
to our community. 1t is the day fixed
for the formal opening and dedication
CT our public library. 1t is wonderful
what these ladies have accomplished
il. this little town. Two gears ago
they organized a little library club
which included village improvement
ind now they have a pretty park with
grayeled walks and q fountain Of gold
fish and they rented a roo upstairs
and began to solicit money from the
good people wherewith to buy books
and they begged a beautiful corner
lot from the city fathers and have
built a two-story brick building upon
1t and have equipped it with shelves
and tables and other conveniences and
everybody is proud Of It. And one
evening Mr.. and Mrs. Granger, who
are always doing something for the
education and refinement Of our hum
BILE people, gave a reception to every
body and nobody knew what is was
for, but when everybody was feeling
good and generous MIR. Granger handed
aL. open hook and called a generous
friend to head a subscription for the
library, and he did so with a hundred
dollars, and others came up and. were
liberal, and the building was nearly
paid for that night, I see that Valdos-
ia has done the same thing. and two
generous people have subscribed a lib
eral sum for books for children. Yes.
especially for children and young peo-
pie. That is right. and / hope they
will have "Geogia Scenes" and Uncle
Remus' and the Young Marooners'
and Arabian Knights" and mix them
up with some more solid reading.
Young people must have mixed FOOD
to make it all digest. Just think OF 1t,
the Young Marooners" has been pub
lished in even different languages,
and / expect Uncle Remus' In as
many more. Rev. Frank Goulding was
n wonderful man. l went to school
with his brothers, Ed and John. Their
grandmother was my mothers adopted
mother. as will be found in my last
book. From the Uncivil War to Date"
1S61-1903. Those who want this book
should apply to Mr.. c. P. Byrd, the
II an autograph copy Is
wanted. send $1.35 to me.
These Gouldings were a notable fam
lily. Rev. Thomas Goulding, the faith
err Of these boys, was the first Presby-
tcrian preacher born in the State. He
was in charge Of the first theological
seminary and president Of O~glethorpe
University. The old doctor was a very
learned and a very stern old man. He
was orthodox to the core. remember
that when I was a young man | went
with my father to Columbus, Ga, to
attend synod, for my father was an
elder. A school teacher from our town
whose name was Gray, a smart but
very willful Irishman, from DubliG,
was examined for license to preach.
He stood a very satisfactory examina-
opd hod a Tavnrahle reno-t from