The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-03-22

The other day, while tho blue Of tn
wintry sky d0med overhead, ard th
Wall of March miscrcrc fOated around
looked froBl the car window On tn
receding lines OF the beautiful City Q
Rocks. It has been my lot I'm life 10 gaz
on the fir and pine forests in the far Of
North, where the waters OF the st. Law
rence roll on to the ocean; TO see a man
tie Of snow on the Canadian and Aneri
can sides while the thunder of Niagar,
reused the heart and brain and soul II
hymn of praise to the Creator; to hea
the roll ofdrurns and clash of bands q,
the scion Of the proud House of Ro
manof passed along the greatest stree
of Americas great city; and far OF, n
| the summer seas, / have seen the Palm
wave in the light of those glorious con
stellatiOns that, illumine- the nights o.
the tropic lands. But it, was reserved
tor me TO find here, in dear Old Tennes.
see. home of my ancestry, the realiza-
| ton Of a poets dream; for surely moi
| in "Ida" are there lovelier wales; moi
| even where Tuscan hills, olive crowned
slope down to the waters edge, are there
such hills and va.lies, such groves and
streams rs those which made this
land worth one of the bravest struggles
in history. and the blue of whose skies
children who died for her honor. From
Nashville to Franklin the landscape is
charming beyond the power of simple
word-painting to express; and oh! what
memories cluster around that town,
whose name is written by the warriors
sword, dipped in the blood of our best
and bravest, on the pages of History;
here il a hillside bleak and shorn OF it's
forests, where men fell before the hiss
ing shells; there lies q peaceful field
where the legions of the North and
South fought and fell. A peace, solemn
and tranqul rests over all now. From
rock, mountain and river, no echo Of
cannon falls on the ear; but the glory
that for centuries hiss crowned Their
moypalae, hoyer'g over Franklin too;
the Old story of relentless bitter war.
1t was sac, beyond measure, to see
the home Of the grand old leader. Gent
Ewell. Doubly sad to me, because it
OF mellow Autumn days, that I passed
over TIE fields Of Virginia, made illus.
triQps by his skill and valOr aud that OF
his heroic troops; and it certainly was
a sweet illustration of the laws of COM
pensation that brought such repose,
peace and comfort to his declining years,
in that spot where nature and art have
so beautifully blended. Sad, did say?
Infinitely so, to ME, because nc was not
there to greet me. and give his cher
ished assistance, his great store of facts
to the Volume, that is all can now lay
upon the battle-mounds where sleep
my cOuntrymen, to tell the world that
looked In admiration OH their match
less valor, where they fought aud fell
for land they could not save.
The curtain of: night withheld her
pail, and the cleaning sunset irradiated
with singular beauty and tenderness
the spires and houses and the groves Of
Columbia; 1t was cherished wish Uf
mine, to wind up many weary months
of travel by a sOjOurn in this favored
region, where the true story of the SUI
ferings of Old Tennessee, could best be
told, where the shadows of her fortified
hills fall across my path, and her sacri-
fetal grounds inspire my pen. And
tits the land of brave, chivalric men and
beautiful maidens indeed; not in all the
pOmp and splcndor and array of sO-called
besuty i'm the A cademy of Music, or the
galleries OF the Congressional Halls,
ere such faces of classical beauty to be
found as those which smile from beneath
the curls and hats of these Tennessee
girls. IfGreece can claim her regular
featured beauties, and Spain her dark
eyed daughters, it can truly be said
that this splendid cline can only be
by the valOr of her sons, and
the grace and loneliness of her women;
il was but the other morn, the fair face
OF q maid of Lebanon rose like vision
of "Elaine," the pureSt, brightest. dream
of Tennyson, before mine eyes, and
taught me to forget the art creations of
those galleries before whose shrines my
steps, those of a weary wanderer, lin
gered and loitered. \ face enchanting
i'm Its gentle beauty as the ideal OF a
hand and arm over which |
Tasso might have dreamed and sighed, |
and such a crown of hair,
with low sea sunset glorying round it.
No wonder realized that the palm was |
awarded her native State, |
for grace aud beauty, and those charms |
of culture and refinement that are the |
best evidence OF nations true ciYili- |
cation.
Among the broad Cotton lands of |
Alabama and Mississippi and the orange
groves of Louisiana, are many ladies OF |
eioauenoe, who point with pride and |
affection to the Classic Halls of the |
50 Atheneum" as the mother that trained |
them for che home circle and the draw |
ing room, and sent them forth to reign |
supreme in their circle. Many cities |
five times the size, have no reputation |
in comparison to Columbia,
whose very name, North and South, 1
and far bsyo,ind the tifbld Mississippi, |
where the homes OF Arkansas rise, or l
the lune star of Texas CLEANS, the name !
of this fair town of Columbia is the |
synonym of all that is exalted, refined |
and beautiful, in point of scenery, los |
cation, climate and the culture of her |
citizens, and it Is not 10 increase that !
that these lines arc Traced,
for such an idea wOtilq be presumption; |
but a grateful tribute TO the place and
people, among whom hay ,, lorR brief |
season, cast MY lot.
-. . Inc uulf City" and by /
the waters of the Warrior and Alabama; |
in the pleasant off homes Of Mississippi, |
and in the splendOr of the Crescent |
City. loving hearta and eyes will feel
tho throb OF pride, end the gathering |
tear, as they recall, whom reading these |
for years they fingered, until the di-
ploma ushered them into the world,
whose temptations and trials would fall |
MS harmless shafts against the armOr |
their training here had clothed them in. |
And very, very thankful that the fires |
OF war n,ercifully spared tbs l0vel town |
aud its Growing glory, thcii' hearts
truest love, the Athseneum.
Whatever the future may havo in
store for me; whatever distant chimes |
may shed the lustre of long ages of art |
and renown upon me; no matter how |
fair the sky above me, yet while memory
holds her sway, there shall ever hang |
In the picture gallery Of remembrance,
the very altar PIECE, my vision Of Co
inmbia. with the glory of a dying sun
crowaing her heights, aud resting like
forests, feeling in my heart that for
once, stern War, bowed before the
shrine of her woudrous lOveliuess,
and spared her hearth-stoues. 80
MARY SAINT-GUILD u. 1