The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-14
ON A RAIL FENCE.

We have often wondered what Mr.. Dlnt,
is thinking about as he sits in that graceful
careless air in the corner seat of the stree
Car, degnirg now and then to let his lustrou
optics rest upon the modest young lady in tht
opposite seat. Did nature. when she evolved
from her organic laboratory that delicate, crisp
article called starch, ever imagine it would be
pressed into service for such gorgeous shir
fronts And then, too, the collar. Dainty
feels that somehow he is ahead Of US in that
line and he crushes US with one contemptu
GUS glance
Bangs, who was with us, gave sigh as The
dummy was hitched to the car at Napoleon
Avenue, and putting down the window began
stertoriously to breathe the fresh air as it
blew in from over the commons. "Watch
that young man, said he, "and you will find
that his eyes never get beyond the horizon of
this car. 1t has always seemed to me that the
faculties of perception were rather unfairly
distributed in this world; haven't you thought
50 often Here is young gentleman, prooa-
bly, fairly educated, who passes along through
these fields and can find nothing to look at,
and rests perfectly easy in his sie5ta of self
admiration. 1 feel really sorry for those who
cannot see in field or stretch Of woods any
thing but that field, but those woods"
We felt tina. Bangs had something the mat
ter with him that afternoon. Probably the
beef was not rare enough. or the landlady had
toadied to the new boarder to his discontinue.
He was little out with himself and didn't
talk in his usual cold, incisive manner. When
the car reached the open fields where the
park is projected, Bangs rang the bell and
motioned us out with his cane We got out,
Bangs and /, and strolling over to the old
cypress fence inclosing the broad pasture,
climbed it and sat down on the topmost rail.
| hardly know wha the passengers thought to
see two old bachelors perched up there-two
crows awaiting the harvest of some senti-
mental corn.
"Owl," said be- addressing US, "dont you
think We can get up in the neighborhood of
New Orleans many neat little study of land
scape? Take now that range off there toward |
the swamps. That fringe of the woods, the |
mist-veiled commons nearer, those cattle |
splendidly brought out in that sunshine-why |
for If ct it is like one of Turner'S It's not on |
landscapes I have to talk with you to-day, |
however, old boy. We didn't come out for |
that. l brought you along just because l
wanted to compare notes wi ID you about one |
or two things, that's all.
"Now, here we are sitting on this fence
looking over the broad level of this clover
carpeted field. The sun is getting low, and
there do you hear It's the distant Angelus
from the Catholic Church on the avenue.
Now why is it that there comes to me when
ever | am out in the open air like this and
hear the low culver of faint bell notes, sad
sensation
"sThat is not akin to pain
But resembles sorrow only
AS the mist resembles rain?
ibid you never feel it? There is something
extrinsic of the scene itself. The mind dwells
upon its own sensations produced by the pic
ture; it never goes out TO the subject itself.
The mental eye becomes interpretive, and
there seems to be barely the echo of whisper
audible that somewhere before you have
looked at just such picture, and heard just
such bells.
"That somewhere is what puzzles me- | ,
1t is forced upon the mind that one has lived !
there before he began his travels in this wide ,
not cali it this cold world, for it ,
isn't. The earth is filled with charities and !
you and have found many warm hearts. .
This idea that we have had an existence some
where else is, believe, common to many but ! /
outside the disciples of the metempsy cnosis q
loculhe our uctapuy slCldus dr5 lnulu n
Didn't you ever see q face, Owl, that you !,
could swear you had known years before in =
Iimately, but which is now carried about by !,
young lady in pink who doesn't even glance :
1t you? Where do all these misty thoughts i
come from No! amt declining and falling !
INTO poetry like Silas Wegg. Not a bit of it, f
but fellow, even if he does shave himself
md live in furnished rooms, has the right to n
out on the airs Of young man out here"
II twas evident Bangs was ''out of condition" n
md yet he had neat action, was a high STEP Il
Der, and in heat races was remarkable for his a
POTION. but he was little wild on this occa- :
ion And yet looking at Bangs's suggestions +,
lavn't you and l, reader, experienced some =
hing of the same sensations? Has not a -
come up in the throat, and a cur !
ain drop over the eyes Gin looking over 9,
Apply autumn fields, and thinking of the !,
avs that are no more?' a