Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-08-31
REGENERATRlX.


The steamboat Autocrat was under fuIl
headway on the Mississippi, below Memphis,
for New Orleans. On the shady side Of the
boat on the guards, his chair regret to say
titled back, and his feet on the railing, sat
Dudley Stuart. Yes, sir. He had quietly
made up his mind first; sold his office, by
way of burning his ships-Hannibal lke-be-
hind him; convinced his mother of the pro-
priety of his course, soothed his plump and
dotng sister, who perhaps cared less for his
departure than she otherwise would, certain
other young gentleman having become very
much brother to her, indeed coolly took
all the jokes upon his going to Texas and
was now actually on his way thither. How
he had parted with Eve do not exactly
know. I do not think Dudley himself exactly
knew. There was, however, the fullest,
completest understanding between them,
though not a word had been said
1t was good sign in Dudley, that as he
sat on the guards, he was reading-not a
trashy novel-but phamplet work on Texas.
1t was trashy enough in all conscience, as all
works published so far on this new State, are !;
but it was the best he had happened upon, it
contained some information at least In con-
versation. too, with some on board, he picked
up vast deal of petty details in regard TO the
State. Then, as now, Texas loomed up be-
fore the young men Of the older States as an
Ell Dorado not a whit eclipsed by the rise Of
California in its yellow Iustre, beside it was
the Lone S:ar.' Dudley found on board
some who were going there, high in extrava-
giant hope. He fell in with one-a small
merchant from Tennessee, who had been there
who was disgusted. Why9 Because there
too many cracks in the houses, which let in
the air, because the Texans did not use ice in
their water or lemons in their soup, because
the prairies were too extensive and wearied the
eye, because 'Oh, it was new, savage, rude,
rough. uninhabited, uninhabtable country
Dudley saw at glance that the man so dis
gusted was little, weakened, nervous indi-
vidual. He felt it must be manly to like
land such man dslked. By dint of much
conversation on the subject, he stepped on
board the Texas steamship, when he had
reached New Orleans, more eager, more in
telligently eager to become established in his
new home than before.
Two days over smooth sea, and our friend
found himself at Galveston without the faint
est intention, however, of stopping there.
Galveston he found to be small but pleasant
seaport 1t was on an island of sand, howev-
er, it was only Of Texas, not in Texas-and
to reside in the State itself was his deter
mination. Leaving it then, as a delightful
place to visit, our hero continued on his way
to La Vaca. Taking horse-or rather mus
tang-there, he slowly rode up the glorious
Guadalupe valley, toward the centre of the
State. Victoria, Gonzales, Lockhart, San
Antonia, Austin, Bastrop, Lagrange, and
Washington, and other central towns, were
slowly visited In each he made a weeks
stay. He found them to be not small New
Yorks, not miniature Phiadelphias he found
them to be exactly the rough, but fourshng
villages a sensible man expects to find in a
new State. Everywhere he found himself
surrounded by the varying and beautiful nature
which makes Texas the Eden it is. Every
where he found the same marked intelligence
of mind, unaffected, cordial manner among the
people which Texans 1atter themselves is the
Characteristic Of their noble State. At first
the roughness of things somewhat shocked
him Somehow, however, Dudley had made
his being pleased with Texas test OF his own
manllness, and of his new determination. He
saw the fertility of the soil, he saw the miner
al and commercial advantages Of the State, he
saw daily the magnificent emigration pouring
into the new land His determination to en-
bark his fortunes in the State became not only
fixed, but joyous. A new, strong, an earned
sense Of his own work elated him, as he saw
the noble field in which it might be used.
He saw and consulted we'll with his friend,
whose letter had arrived at the exact moment
He deliberately selected certain central and
hourishing village as his future home. Here,
in three months, he had opened his office, had
made acquaintances, had fixed himself to re-
main. A new life altogether was his for the
next year. He studied like man in dead
earnest, he relaxed himself by reading the ro-
mantle history of the country, he bore up un-
der the want of accustomed comforts until he
forgot that he ever needed them, he mingled
much in society-at first modestly-and then
gradually but earnestly headed the party Of
law and order which in every village in Tex.
as. is slowly, but inevitably driving out the
natural lawlessness of new society. He was
strictly true and honorable in every dealing
genial, generous, in hearty, but quiet earnest
How vast change one year had brough
In the man He had made himself high anC
firm position, he had acquired the esteem 0
every individual in his adopted village h'
had entered upon a small, but increasing prac