New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-09-26

Special TO tho New Orleans crsscentI
HARRopsBURG, MERCER CoUNTY, KY,
September 20, 1866.
left Louisville, and by the advice of General j.
r. Boyd, the accomplished agent Of the several
railroad lines centering at Louisville, seconded by
that of Harry Blackstone the urbane and obliging
conductor on the Louisville and Nashville rail-
road, took the Lebanon train, This route coin
eides with that to Memphis for the distance of
thirty miles, where it. liEerges to the eastward
This Id called the Louisville and Knoxville rail-
road, the latter city being iIs proposed terminus
It is now completed only to the Grab Orchard
Springs, distance Of eighty-fiys miles from the
Junction with the Nashville road and Of one hun
dred and fifteen miles from louisville The road
IS new and well made It penetrates central
Kentucky, aiid opens up 10 market d rich grain
and stock country. When extended few miles
further tie mountains rich in coal IRON and luin-
ber, Will be reached, and when finished to Knox.
vile, aiayge and continuous current Of trade and
travel lEill reward It's oisetors and II
All along. tie road the eyes Of the weary traV.3
eler are greeted BY the rich compilations the we'll
rounded forms, the simple attire, and the frank
hearty, natural manners Of the Kentucky women
who enter the cars at various stations. Near
Lebanon, on railroad platform, 7 sew the very
reverend Catholic bishop of Kentucky. surrounded
by forty Oh ifty ladies id black uniform, bearing
each i rosary pendant from her belt. BY these
sonlber tokens, no less than by the holy, happy
eallnesa of their intelligent faces Tknew them to
bedegoteea. bnt Of what order I could not learn.
From the neat and minnie embroidery in scarlet
silk on5eachlnne's rohe' near the left shoulder
presumed they belonged to the rich and rapidly
extending order Of Sisters of the Sacred Heart,
~
religious and scholastic training Of girls. The
order Was founded by d French lady of high frank,
great wealth, extensive learning md devoted
piety, whose death was but recently rnourned by
all the sisterhood throughout both continents. Ii
occurs To me nov tllat they were dressed in deep
black in token Of respect for the memory and aor-
row for the death Of their noble patroness and
spiritual mother.
landed at ATitchellshurg, about thirteen miles
south of Harrodsbnrg and eighty-dy miles from
louisville. 1 passed up the valley Of the little
ptream that doWs through P erryyille along by the
fields where the great. battle was fought, now
waving with Iuxnriant corn and sprinkled with in
Vulnerable stocks Of small grain and hay. Before
leave this vicinity intend 70 visit that classic
ground made sacred By the patriot blood of South
ern braves. reached Harrodsbnrg, but little
fatigned, aud was greeted with real Kentucky
\ i Il aff 55s *
welcome By NY old friends.
Thirteen years have elapsed since my last visit
To this quiet town, yeti note hut few changes
Some Of the features of its unpretending beauty
have been raarred by fires. Bare crumbng walls
disfgure the site of one house where once spent
d few weeks enjoying the hospitality Of avery
refined and worthy family, and where met the
poet child Alice, then singing away her tenthsum-
1ner amidst playmates, birds, books and flowers,
She even then gave unmstakable promise of a
brilliant future. Her beauty was extraordinary,
her taste faultlesa, her Imagination creative and
prolific in beautiful conceptions, her memory
vigorous. size read appreeiatEely all standard
Doets, some times with a combined sweetness and
pathos passed hy histrionic art. have never
known one 50 young show such intuitige taste or
manifest such passionate love Of the beautiful
in literature, art ana nature. She read
talked and dreamed poetry and romance. Her
rnelodious voice trembled whenshe read to me
the more beautiful passages of her fayoFite poems.
She often called attention to some picturesque
features Of landscape, some rare flower, some rich
combination of prismatc hues in the clouds, some
leaf bordered with dewdrops some Iace-like
ghadow Of vine leaves upon the pavement or
garden walk, some modest blossom toilng up
through weeds tosRunlight, some golden mailed
insect, some wind-roeked ohrysalis, some diamond
spotted butterfly some heeting cloud-shadow or
some rarely plumed bird. She had learned, thus
young, how full all nature ID Of WHAT'S beautiful,
and could describe, ina poets words, what she
saw with an artists eye.
I saw her but once afterwards, but am told
that she fulfilled, abundantly. all the promise of
Aer childhood. She became thorough scholar,
and developed most excellent qualities Of mind
and heart. she Joined to other virtues deVopt and
consistent piety. Just as womanhood began to
lawn upon her, in her sixteenth yeaE while the
center and cynosure Of wide and widening circles
If admiration and love, this queen-like daughterI
# genins died. Or. as she said, ''went to her
lome Bnt though sheis gone, sweet infu
sneen seems TO perYade every foot Of the lawn,
avery old oak, every garden weedrtangled walk,
every broad stone Of the terrace wall, and even
he gray ruins oG that dwelling which once echoed