New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-10
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, SUNDAY, JANUARY TO- 1875

The one tells of present decay and death;
the other is constant promise of the new
life to come.
The severest frosts here disappear with
the rising sun, and the heaviest SHOWS melt
under the glow of the first clear MONDAY,
and the icy fringe which sometimes lines
the sparkling rivulets loosens and floats
away with the passing breath of the morn
ing, and the chill whisper of the "Texas
norther," which at times of long interval
touch the brow with warning admonition,
fingers but for moment, and is succeeded
by the calm aud mellow splendor of our
steady native winteI-a time of poetic love
illness and romantic grandeur.
The time may come when North Louis
lana shall have her epics, her pastorals and
her roundelays. And why mott Her win
ter time and her winter scenes are full of
inspiration, and afford suggestion and sub
ject matter of the deepest and richest poe
try, of romantic thought and tender con-
temptation, and are fraught with legend
| airy lore sufficient to bring into life and
action upon the burning pages of genius,
| creations as entertaining and immortal as
any that have passed before the inspired
visions of ancient OF modern poet or nov
| elist.
Here we have countless crystal streams,
with clustering scenes as lovely-"O'erhung
with wildwoOds, thick'ning green"-as in
| spring and full of hope as the purling
brook across which Robert Burns and his
adored and sainted Mary plighted their
treth and passed the Book of God; and
| grand old hills, and entangled wales, and
rolling plains, and virgin meadows as rO
mantle and bewitchiDg as the scenes
through which the high.souled Hiawatha,
in the fullest and happiest days of his un'
bridled Joy and glee, passed hand-in-hand
with the loving and confding Minnehaha:
Prom the wigwam he departed,
Leading with him Laughing Water;
Hand in haHd they went together,
| Through the woodland and the meadow"
Then why, indeed, should not North
Louisiana have her Robert Burns, her
Walter Scott, her Collins, her Coleridge,
her Longfellow and her Charles Dickens
For, l repeat, her winter scenery affords as
rich inspiration as ever aided or blessed the
4
North Louisiana is truly "happy CLINE
and blest;" the golden sunshine of her
winter season ripening the thoughts for a
full realization of solid immortality in
kindred chimes of the Gland beyond the
flood;" and her clear, fresh waters and pure
breeze sffOrding ahealthfulness that makes
OF life here a joy and gladness of which tie
most virtuous and favored of Gods orea
ton might long to partake and linger
amidst.
And Homer, with her vine-clad hills
sparkling wells and crystal springs-with
her "sOng of birds, lisp of children and Their
earliest words"-is the "chief city" of this
favored land-this land of corn and wine
and of milk and honey, of the cotton boil
and the teeming cereal and luscious fruit
Of the citrOn and pOmegranate and the clus
teriDg vine; where blooming flowers form
the general rule and the pendant icicle the
exception; land of watchful mothers and
loving wives, and laughing and happy chill
dren whose continued cheer make glad for
ever the tOiling heart of man; where the
smiles of beloved ones are not surpassed
even by the golden hours of the native
loneliness of winter or the silvery days Of
the gushing and blooming springtime; q
land where "all save the spirit of man il
divine" and the mellow gladness of whose
mystic and romantic winter season consti
tutes the fruition.
Homer, Louisiana, December l6, 1874.