The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1841-05-29
TIE FATAL TEARS.
A TALE OF wo.


A TALE OF wo.
In one of those outrageous valleys
which stretch their perennial wrotched-
ness in lingering expanse on the sandy
shores Of the vast Atlantic.-whcrc huge
forests shake their lcafy honors over the
barren and shrubless wilderness. iuhab-
tied only by the jaguar, and the paroquet.
and the tlger,-In longitude Glty-seven.
and latitude iorty-two southeast bv north
lit was once my fortune TO find myself
benlghted, unaccompanied and alonei-
how my soul gIoried in the awful maies-
~ Of those hitherto unpenetrated soil
tudes. ! looked down upon the earth
but, as it was pitch dark, could see We.
ry little Of the soil upon which trod; on
casting my eyes up to the infuitude Of
space, nothing met my aching vision bat
a pail, Of thick, dark, impsnetrable
gloom. All around me objects were in
visible. therefore spread my cloak ba-
meath the branches Of a wide-spreading.
blossom-coyered magnolia, and after a
sigh over the memories Of the uuhaDpI-
ness Of my young days, laid me down
tosleep.- Ol--not to sleep! No, through
out the watches Of that dreary and Dor-
tentous night, my proud breast hcayed
beneath the appalling weight Of agouizing
recollect'ons. From the cradIc.-thro'
the suferings OF long clothes-short
clothes, school, drill, parade, battle, and
advance through the territories Of q hos
tile foe,--up to that hour when + made
myselfa companiOn'of the tamslcss saw
age Of the antroddea wilds, hoy life had
been but Il recession OF melancholy IL
ventures and tortured feelings. In that
night Of misery and solitude | recalled
every iHcf6enl of-my baby aoCI, chsId
hood, boy one ming dawn ofmanhood.
first flush Of military glory, down TO the
last and darkest hour, when on the ser
rated mountains Of heroic Spain, / clasp
ed TO my bosom in an agony Of tears the
young, the bright, the beautIiul-but Of
thisno more. My eyes were red when
on the morrow I opened them to a sense
ofmy situation Dark piles Of rock rose
in unapproachable magniiceuce to hail
with halo-covered SUBMITS the advent Of
the god Of day. never saw Sol look so
pretty!
STOPPING down to lave my burning fore
head in the cooling waves Of a secret
spring which welIed its delicious way in
TO the upper air through the constipated
bowels ofthe dark and humid earth, was
surprised, deep within its placid waters
10 perceive the reflection Of human fig
ure--anQther, and not my own! In such
a place, remote from the hauuts Of men,
at such an hour, when the parting wing
ofdarkness was still fringed with the first
smiles Of the approaching god, in such an
attitude, for | was STOPPING IN nearly a
state of pristine nudity, my surprise may
be imagined on seeing the figure of tall
and reverend looking individual standing
quietly with his arms folded across his
breast, and a pipe of the very shortest
dimensions protruded placidly from the
right-haud corner Of his mouth. The
aromatic smell Of the Virginian leaf sa-
lutiag my olfactory nerves at the same
time, assured me by the evidence of a
second sense ofthe reality Of the. vision
dried ny BIO l..h the sleeve OF my
innermoyt garment, and on returning
round, said to him
"Hail, father! ! am happy to have en-
counlorcd SO resp 7cta ble-looklng a gen
tleman in-the heart Of this tromendC 5
solitude"
"Solit'dep' replied the stranger, in
deep sepul~hral tone. l. is Populous-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS with a re
dundance of population"
"Oh, stranger, your words are marvel
lous. Tell me, pray thee, where are
the countless multitudes you describe? :"
aueren' said the old man, taking the
pipe from his mouth, add pointing with
the stalk of it to his breast
.Ay, here; in this withered heart are
thoughts that would populate universe
with their beating creations,- memories
hopes. feelings, agonles, woes. disasters
all. all are here in their living, 81 eak'ng'
walking. writing hideousness, horror VI
tality, and despair"
.Ifather,n said |, "let me take the b.
the hand: at last have found a spirit
congenial with ny own Let Us fetife
10 some grotto consecrated to Inc muse
ofteuderest lamentations and there lei Us
have delicious day Of sob0ing and sign
s..lgrood,n aid the admirable old man
and having wiped from ureyes the drops
Of sympathy, VIC wandered deeper into
the forrest. -,
Asl followed my mysterious GUIDE, !
could not avoid taking more particular
notice Of his personal appearance. iio