The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-12-08
From The N. O. Della.
A NIGHT AT THE UGLY MANS.
BY The AUTHOR OF { SIMON sUGGs.'

81. oA II AOlhOh w SAhkUN SUGG6 = FL.
Up THE TALI-PoosA.t
October 81, l849
GehtsmenE In PteVi6us letter. mentioned
that my friend, Dick Mccoy, an myself, were
Brought to a sudden halrt on our svoyage , t.,
the Horse Shoe, by the capsizing Of our boat,
and further mehtlohed, that we determined,
as II was late to attempt no further progress
that day, but stop until next morning at the
h use Of Old Bill Wallis, the Ugly man. III
accordance with this plan, We bailed the boat,
and made bet fast 10 a tree on the ATurpihg-
tiHe' side OF the river, ana commenced our
walk
Aao&H Tie rugged, pihe-bsariHs slope Of
the hill, on the. top Of which the Ugly Mans
residence wn6 situated, tfickied q slender
streaIRteg PURE and sparkling, like a single
tear coatsing down the foigh cheek Of man
hood. Merrily it leaped alone between its tiny
moss margins-mero strips Of green velvet
tumBling over mibiature Lodges, and hhmmihg
forth a complaining sound-the faint, delicate
echo Of a fairy chime! Stout poplars and
white oaks, at Intervals Just sufficient to give
good sport to the fair.jumpipg grey squirrels;
attested the fertiliEing power of the little riIl,
which the dark entertwining roots seemed
striving to grasp-but the streamlet gliied
through like a silver eel and kept its dBwn.
Pward way, chanting,u scarce a%udibly, its jocund
melody. A snowy sheen of d~ogwood blooms
marked its course; and winding beneath these
ran a path leading to the humble cabin we
were about to visit
This here's Old Bills spring branch; he
lives up thar a leetle to the left;' said my COM
panion. A few more strides brOugh us to the
premises of The I~LL-FAvoRED.
Tile cabin was perched- on the hill, within
wenty yards Of a beautiful spring-welling
up through whitest sand and bursting up
through rock and mOss-that supplies the lit
tie stream | have described. 1t was a rough,
log building. Around it was a low rail fence,
enclosing a white and well swept yard. A
dozen clumpS Of purple aItheas and cOmmOr
roses are growing and blooming in front of the
house; while a luxuriant cypress vine, with
it's mimosalike foliage and brilliant red flow.
ers, clambered around the door, and emulously
strove to overspead the roof. On the fence, q
huge gobbler with his meek looking mate,
had gone to their early roosts. A dozen fowls
clustered on the top of the Gsh1gGns, and the
projecting corners Of the smoke house. These,
at the first glance, were all the signs that indi-
Gated inhabited premises. Huge, melancholy
pines reared themselves gIoOmily on all sides,
except in ftOht=there, the little spring was ia
view, with the oasis its waters had made-the
green line Of oak and poplar, with it's under.
fringe of creamy flowers, winding down the
hilI-and still further down, the river whirlinp
and frothing along to the Southwest.
AS we stepped over The low fence; / heard
the hum Of spinni6g-wheel, and in another
moment one OF the sweest, rOsiest faces l evel
beheld, looked out at the door. It was Lucy
Wallis the pretty daughter Of the Ugly Man
S%aluting us mOdestly, she asked US inland tt
be seated@=and resumed her work. There b,
few more lovely girls than Lucy. IN lei
moist blue eyes was q blended expression o.
mirthfulness and something more lender tina
went into your heart without ever asking leave
Clad in a homespun lrock, coarse but tasteful
in its cOIotS and adjustment-snd oh! how
brilliantly sPOtlesS-her fingers tipped viii
the blue Of b eindigO tub~-her little Teeth
buokskin moccasins-she piled her task Undue