Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-12
TEXAS.
The Eew.FIedged City of DaIIas-On the
PFRfrie-The HeTdsWOman of the
PIaIns-MSlIte OOre, the
POefess.
Habits of the PeOpEe-The Descendant
OF the sIIe French NObIesse
Musician.
from Our Own Correspondent !

From Our Own Corresp 0ndent.l
DALLAS, TEXAS, July so, IS74-The
sun was setting when the rail-
way train going west from Mar
shall to Dallas stood still at Wills's
Point, fifty miles east from Dallas, in
the midst of an endless sea of verdure.
Wills's Point is a model of Texan rail
way towns. There are many like it,
aud, seeing it, traveller has seen much
of Texas. The houses are wooden, snd
most of them of one story. An equal
number, twenty or more, have been cOn-
structed on each SIDE of the road, and
forty or fifty yarGs from it. Thirsty
travellers, when trains stop, traverse this
space between the railway and the bar
rooms at the top OF their speed. These
saloons tempted Us by their great sign
boards. There was "JOe's Saloon" and
the "City Saloon, and plain ''Saloon, -
in glaring capitals, written across the
ends of little dTam-shOps. The propTie-
tor of "JOe's saloon" is evidently an
snterprising gentleman. He won the
crowd by means OF an accordeOn, from
which he was pumping harsh, dissO-
nant, devilish notes when the train
stopped. There was tavern hard by, q
broad, flat-framed building of one story.
There is a latticed piazza on every side,
and the shutterless windows are cut
down to the floor, and the interior of
the house, like this whole country, had
the look of being wholly "Out of doors" !"
Strong breezes were blowing perpetually,
and as fresh aud cool as if just escaped
from an ocean bath. There was not q
cloud in the sky or tree visible when the
sun reached the horizons verge. 1t
rested for moment, great
rayless ball OF Ere, upon the
earth's surface, and then dropped
out Of sight to lave its heated sides in
the calm, blue waters of the western
ocean. Herds OF cattle were moving
over the plains, and woman-the con-
ductor said she was beautiful girl-was
driving great number rapidly away.
She rode fleet pony, and now and then
stood erect and with a long whip gave
growing speed to the movements of the
flying flock. With wondrous speed she
dashed down long declivity and as
cended another, her long black hair
floating wildly in the wind. She was
going directly west from US, precisely in
the direction OF tbe setting sun. Her
1.-the form was protested against its glow
ing disc and she seemed a weird figure
uIdMu llB ri1lul NaDOI5
cut off its glowing rays, and watched
the flying figure till the herd and horse
and woman disappeared. The illu-
sion was perfect. She was a
divinity of the pra:ries, and found her
home and was lost in the very sun itself.
They "went down. together and were
seen DO more. If Homer or HesiOd had
beheld such vision, we would have an
other story in heather mythology, tell
ing how a charming herdswOman OF
Texan plains was ravished and stolen by
the god of day. No wonder that poetry
breathes its sweetest melodies, weaves
its most witching spells, exhales its most
delicious Odors, and paints its most
charming pictures even here, where skies
are cloudless, and earth is robed in richer
green, and the heavens in deeper azure
than elsewhere in the south. The home
of Mollie E. Moore is not far away, and
| remembered her admirable verses en-
titled winding the Gap" when the sun
and the flying vision of the plains went
down through the glowing, gilded "gap"
of the occident.
The image waned dim
Into heaven; and heavenward with It, to
melt
As 1t melted, in days broad expansion, felt
With a thrill, sweet, and strange, and intense
-awed, amazed
Something soar and ascend in my soul as
gazed. l.. j. ID.