Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-04

4
this season. The late rains are bring
ing up the grass and already giving
1t green tint.
AT NIGHT
the view of the city is ike that of
another armament below. The count
less numbers of lights, bright and dim,
flicker and twinkle Ike so many stars
as though indeed theywere trying to out
shine their more dim and distant neigh
bOrs. Owing to the shaky nature of
the country, building is done almost en-
tirely of wood. The streets are paved
mostly with wooden blocks or planks,
and except on some of the business
streets the sidewalks are of plank.
Climbing and defending these hills on
a plank walk may be healthful exercise,
good for the lungs ut ought to be- but
does not conduce to a persons graceful
carriagel But if one carries a health.
| full body it Is matter Of secondary
Importance how he carries 1t. There
are but two pretty
SUBURBAN DRIvET
viz: to the park and to the ''cliffs."
The drive to the cliffs is a beautiful
one over a wide, straight, finely Mac
adamized road five miles long, which
offers good place for. trying the speed
of fast horses. 1t passes between two
cemeteries and by n race track. 1t is
the drive of the city. Almost any fair
day a good variety of tmn-outs may be
seen ON it, from a pretty picture-liHed
| carriage, like the one Mark Twain's
WesteTner selected to take his first ride
up Broadway in with the "sOciable''
New Workers, TO the fine park phaetOn,
with four S60, 600 cream colOred steeds
of mine milliOnaire-er. The "clIffs"
are ON the ocean shore, Just outside
THE GOLDEN GATE,
and looking in upon it. As the name
indicates they are q succession of cliffs
rising abruptly from the waters edge.
Upon one of them a pleasure house has
been built for the comfort and refresh
ment Of the many visitors who frequent
it. How delightful it is to sit there
and gaze at the beautiful Pacific,
breathing its fresh pure air, and Won
der what are the wild waves saying"
One wave rolls In and breaks caressing-
" over a rock IN beautiful, white foam
In receding it is caught up in the arms
of another, and brought back TO kiss
the rocks again. And so with another
and another, day after day, and year
after year, always and yet never the
same, calm but restless, inviting but
treacherous, lovely but dangerous. Di-
rectly in front of the Cliff House, and
only a short distance out in the water
is the well known seal rock" the hab-
itation of hudreds of
SEA LIONS
and sea gulls. Great numbers of the
former ungainly creatures can always |
be seen about it, some swimming around |
In the water, some laid out on therocks |
to dry in the sun and some stretching |
up their heads and laZily swaying to |
and fro, striking their fiabby sides and |
keeping up an incessant, dreary bark
inc. 1t is To be hoped that the waves |
do not include these unsightly animals |
as objects Of their aifectiOnate demon |
STATIONS, else they would indeed be |
1riid IN their calmest moments. They |
would be perfectly excusable for swal-
lowing, them up at one swOop!
THE WEATHER,
that most welcome heritage of the So
cial being. How should we ever get |
along without it: How should we
know when to sit by tie glowing CRATE
or under the cool shade: Who, unaid-
ed by it could dictate to US in what to
wear" without a woful sameness and
want of novelty: And more than all.
what should We have to talk about
We have had a spell of 1t lately. This
does not often occur IN this climate.
We Eastern people who came here TO
escape the weather are quite Disguised
10 find that they do have it even here
in California, in spite of all the boasting
to the contrary notwithstanding. How
ever. its mild character Is an
improvement upon ours at home.
The month of October and
November were charming, the sunshine
being warm while the air was fresh and
invigOrating. The winds that prevail
through the summer, giving visitors at
that time an UnfavOrable impression of
the place, have abated. And the crowds
upon the thorOughfares betoken the
gIadness with which the pleasant,
RAINY season Is heraldel. Everywhere
the grass is parched and brown. But
the flowers IN nearly every dOOr-yard
not only weather it through but
grow luxuriantly when occasionally
watered. During these months three
rains occurred as harbingers Of winter,
all falling at night, the sun shining out
the next day as innocently as though
nothing had happened.
DECEMBER
burst upon us ike a hysterical child,
whimpering and winning, then trying
10 smile through her tears Just long
enough to coax Us out and then give us
a good sprinkle to Try our speed, She
tried pelting us with snow one day, but
she Is a novice az that game. 1t was a
failure here. a young friend, fourteen
years old, who had never seen snow but
once before, exclaimed enthusiastically:
Il scrapcd up a whole mOuthful of
snow and o, 1t was so gOOd-and dirty
Inland it has accumulated in many
places TO a great depth. as the snow
capped peaks, beautiful IN the sunlight,
of which we get an occasional glimpse,
bear witness.
Madame Rumor has intimated that
there will be
A chop"
at the Grand before the holidays, and
s'when the storm Is over!" But if as a
stranger might be permitted to ex-
press my private opinion, should say
it does not seem proper to dance while
the country is in such flood Of tears.
Besides, there is Il storm in the house.
Eastern people are deluging it; 1t is
full to OVERLOOKING. Mother Earth IS
the only favored one in this outpouring.
The old lady opens hermouth and COM
placently takes i III IN, encouraging
tho young crap to thrust out its lit
tie head and laugh at us till we are pro-
voked to a smile, while We hang up our
fiddle and our how and wait for the
RAIN to cease. LADY LOOkABOUT.
SAN Francisco, Dec. p, 1873.
AFRIENO IN NEED.
Confidence" says the proyerb, sis
a plant of slow growth" 1t is, per-
haps. NOT best to grow at all in the
Australian bush, Judging from the fol-