Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-07-09
The Home Of Simns the South Carolina
Novelist.

The following extract is taken from the Hand
book of American Travel, and describes the home
of W. Gilmore Simms, the Southern novelist and
poet. Mr.. Simms is Charlestonian by birth, and
one of the most gifted of South Carolina:
The journey OF the South Carolina Railway will
give the traveller some ipkling of the lowlAnd fea-
lures OF the Southern landscape though not 10 its
strongest most interesting character since
much OF the way is through extensive pine forests
which makes the rhyming sneer bestowed upon
this part oil the country not altogether inspc
where to the North. pine trees in prospect RISE
where to the East pine trees assail the skies;
Where to the West, pine trees obsruct the view;
Where to the South, pine trees forever grew!"
But second glimpse will reveal amidst all
these 'pine trees" the towering cypress with its
foliage of fringe and its garlands of moss-the
Waxen bay-eai, the rank laurel, and the clustering
ivy; and, if you Watchful, you may catch, in
the rapid transit Of the cars through the swamp,
elimpses of almost interminable cathedral aises
OF cypress and vine, sweeping through the deeper
parts OF the boundless lagoons. But railroad
glimpse, and especially at the speed with which
you travel here, is quite insufficient for reasonable
observation. At Woodlands, mile only south of
Midway, the centre of the road, lives the dis
tinguisbed poet and novelist, Smms; and as he
is always upon hospitabe thoughts INTENT we will
pay him flying visit, not doubling OF our well
come. Yonoer, in that wide and spreading lawn
stands our authors mansion-an old fashioned
brick structure, with massive and strange portco.
The ranks of orange trees and live oak which
sentinel his castle are the objects of his tenderest
care-true and ardent lover of nature as he is
MIR SImms has a particular fondness for the
pecial grapevine, depending in such fantastic and
numbf rless festoons from the limbs of yon vene-
rable tree. He has immortaliz ID it in his song
and, as it is good specimen OF its class-a class
numerous in the SOuth-we will pay it an humble
tribute in our prose. 1t is strOng-imbed as a
giant, and, but for the grace with which il Ciings
to the old forest king, would seem to BE- rather
struggling with him for his sceptre, than Loyalty
and lovingly suing for his protection. The vine
drops has feetoons one beneath the other, in such
manner that half dozen persons ms find coy
seat, each over his fellow, for merry swing. On
dreamy summer eve you may vacillate in these
rustic couches to your hearts content; one arm
thrown around the vine will secure you in your
seat while one hand may hold the faVorite book
and the other pluck the delicious clusters of grapes
which, as you swing, encircle your head like the
wreath upon the brow of Bachus If the rays of
the setting sun be hot, then the rich and impene.
trable canopy OF foliage above you will not prove
ungrateful
a stroll over Mr.. Simms' plantation will give
you pleasant inklng of almost every feature Of
the southern lOwlaDds, in natural scenery, social
HE, and the character and position of the slave
population. You may sleep sweety and soundly
within his hospitable walls, secure OF a happy day
on the morrow, whether the rain holds you a pris-
oner within doors, or the glad sunshine drags you
abroad. de will give you true southern break
fast at a very comfortable hour, and then furnish
you abundant sources of amusement in his we'll
stocked library, or suffer you seek it elsewhere
as your fancy listeth. At dinner you shall not
lack good cheer, for either the physical the in
tellectual man, aud then you may take pleasant
stroll TO the quiet banks OF the Eiisto-watch the
ratmen floating lszly down the stream, aud inter-
pref es you will the windings and echoes of their
boat horns-or you may muse in the shaded bow
ers OF Truue Cove or either of tue many other in
lets and bayous of the stream Go where you
may, you must not fail to peep into the dark and
solemn swamps You may traverse their waters
on wild bridges of decayed and failed trees, you
may dream of knight and troubadOur, your eye
wonders through the gothic passages Of cypress,
interlacing their bran hes, aud bearing the ever
dependent moss which hangs mournfully if
weeping over the desoation and death which
brood within the fatal precincts.
II you fear not to startle the wild fowl, to dis
turb the serpent, to encounter the alligator, you
may enter your skif, aud sailing through the OPEN
ipgs in the base OF the cypress you may penetrate
at pleasure, amidst bush and brake, into the mys-
tic chambers of these poisonous halls Mir.
SImms has beautifully described these solemn
scenes in his Southern Passages aud Pictures"
IT'S a wild spot and hath gloomy look;
The bird sings never merr in the trees,
And the Young leaves seem bighted. a rank growth