Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-20
BON Aqua SPRTNGs-A LETTER
FROM OCCASIONAL hl


western road, after a few hours dashing
along through the hills and dales of Har-
peth and Turnbull, / found myself at
Burns Station. 1t was about dark, and
the gathering clouds hung portentiously in
the heavens, vivid lightning flashed, and
old uncle Moses "'lowed we'd have some
rain tonight" / was put to rest beneath
some broad new boards, and soon the rain
came in torrents. Hogs sqnealed, chick
ems chirped, cats mewed, cows beloved.
Every Granny was light as day. Soon it
was over, and sleep came till bright morn
ing.
Now for a ride Of eight miles to " Bon
Aqua with a venerable Scipio Africans.
The cool breeze, the firm road the drip-
ping woods, with scarce house or human
sigh, with all the ambulance to myself was
delightful. Passed great red hills midway
in the woods, the excavations Of years ago
in search of ore. After two hours drive,
here we are descending big hill A col,
umn Of blue smoke is piled high in the air,
white cottages CLEAN through the trees, the
splphurous air assails my nostrils, troops
Of children are ganging and changing and
singing and crying, knives are Rhetting on
an old grindstone, pigs are. coming 10 the
military commission lit is the Springs.
THE SITUATION.
Nature has done much, art next to moth
ing for this place. Three deep gorges
come together Roman Triyium-in
each of which is branch, on the sides are
bluffs of high rocks, in some places over
hanging, clad in MOSES and vines, and
everywhere overgrown with tall trees.
The large frame barn of a hotel is in the
focus, and the cabins are ranged round it
irregularly, good enough, but too few. Up
one of these branches about seventy-fiye
yards are the Springs, two red sulphur
two or three white sui Phur, chalybeate and
a fine large freestone, all in a cireumfer-
ence of thirty yards. / do not know the
analysis, but | think the water splendid
One sulphur spring is the coolest l ever
saw. The chalybeate is strong. Nature
has done everything in the way of water
and nice scenery. There is "Blowing
Cave" in the bluff through which a con-
slant stream of cold air pours, chilling TO
you in few moments. A large door
locks up within the meats aud vegetables
| passed the Springs and went up the
creek by path winding with the stream,
to the Blue Hole" half mile of. The
green boughs OF many trees are locked all
all the way and the shade is intense.
Here and there a stray beam from
old Sol strikes through and lights up the
home of the tiny fish beneath. At length
you come to a basin forty feet wide with
hugh rocks piled up and grand trees all
around, and the water is as clear and blue
as the heavens above, and from one to six
feet deep. 1t is bathing place where the
fair visitors can have their sport. They
can sit on the clean white rocks or come
up and stand there without soiling their
snowy feet They should be careful, as
the Blue Hole" is all spring water and
very cold, but there is enough of it to wash
all the children on Irish row." and wish
they were here and in itwith few barrels
Of Mayors soap and / had long pole
to stir them.
You have to walk logs here to get up or
down the creek, or to the spring, or to the
! dining room. An occasional I0pslts pedunl,
or the shaking of the logs by some gay
widow brings the beaux down splash into
the water. One of the " fair, fat and
| forty" widows was about to go overheard
herself yesterday, but | extended my poU.
elJgI arms and took her in. Don't let my
old lady read this
Well, had heard Chinese gongs, and
| the mellow horn," and many other din
ner warnings, but / never heard cow-bell
used before. But it has a hearty, search
ing ring, and its disagreeable notes are soon
dispelled by good cup of coffee.
THE TABLEAUx.
Two days have been spent here in get
ting up some fun. All hands have worked
Justify. Up the mountain sides you might
see gangs of nurses and children culling
wild flowers, boys with hatchets cutting
branches, ladies making costumes, Misses
and young ladies weaving chaplets and
scenery for the "grand tableaux"
At length, last evening at s P. NJ, that
COW bell rings, and the whole community,
| with many long tail blue fellows from
the country, foeked to the ball room
The immense hall was lighted with two
candles and a petroleum lamp. The old
folks took seats and the children filled in,
"niggers" grinned through the windows
katydids blazed away on the neighboring
trees-the grim doorkeeper stood 10 collect
twenty-five cents from outsiders, but didn't
collect-the great white sheet hung across
one end of the room, the top festoOned
with green wreathes in circles and serpen-
tines. An old spinning wheel stood in one
corner. Bell rings-up goes curtain.
Gipsy scene. -Four heautiful girls seated on
the carpet-an old Gipsy telling fortune
of a Miss-beyond is a tent of green trees,
vines, ETC., very beautiful. Just at the
| ravishing moment when we want TO see
more, it flies forever.
Next: The Pyramid of Beauty. This
pyramid had a broad base like other Pyra-
mids, composed of solid material and taper
ingup into the little folks with short white
dresses, bright eyes and curly hair. In a
moment it was gone.
Next: The Blind Mother. The old
lady in white cap at the spinning-wheel
thinks she hears the young ones courting
near by. They looked like it. The girl
was mighty still and listening mighty
heavy. and he was a-whispering in her
ear. That's courting, amt it? At any
rate that old lady couldn't spin, feeling
sOrter electrified by it, as she used to feel,
doubtless, herself That's so)
Next The Old Woman in the Shoe, who
had so man children she didn't know what
to do. A beautiful collection of young
humanity.
Next: Two handsome scenes-The
Peacemaker and Crowning the May Queen.
Next: The Intercepted Letter. Old
lady looks very vicious at the young lady,
and she by her manner says 81 didn't
go to do it."
Next While the curtain was yet hang
ing, a voice and song arose and hushed
every sound ii was the Beautiful Dreamer
The curtain rising, there she lay, among
the flowers and lilies, asleep
Upon her breast the cross
She prayed 10 last, rose and fell
With the soft tide OF dreams,
Like light barque safe mOored.
Next: A Soldiers Camp-scene Gen. l.