The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-04-27

Soft is the spring where Bodcau flova
In South Arkansas by the west.
There, long the fervent summer s3av.
Bright as in "Araby the blest:
And oh what genial autumn skiea
Around its valleys bend and riscl
While every fragrant floral bloom.
That fillsthe air with sweet perfume
In southern lands, Ia blooming fair
Through all the autumn, spring and -
there. = 3
There by the Bodcau long ago.
How long tbs useless now to tall
There where the sweetest flowers srov
rural homestead rose: dell
Where walnut trees and May-haws erev
Lay to the east; while great pines threw
Their shadows on the northern aida
And on the south: aud far and vida
In many fields ontstretching west.
A fresh plantation spread its fruitful btuaat.
A rich return to labor gave
That farm: for there the cotton plank.
Reared chiefly by the negro slavc,
Its snowy clusters waved; and Waaf
And Hunger, with their eyes forlorn.
Fled from its fields of bending corn:
Delicious fruitage, bloOd-red cherriea
The straw, most succulent Of berries.
And great round peachee-tAmptine 49,
All rlpened In its glowing summer hghE
That Homestead was no castle old,
Where knishth0od dwelt and arn,or huns. 81
Nor any fierce old Baron's hold,
Whose praises courtly minstrels sung:
For such by B0dcau never rose.
And simple WAS the life Of those
Who filled that home of long ago:
Their chief delight, to reap and SOW,
AND gather in their harvest stores,
And heap them proudly ON their vide bars
floors.
OF long pine logs, all trimmed, and peeled.
And split, the house itself, was made;
With riven slabs its sides were ceile0:
OF rude oak boards the roof was Iaiei
And chimneys, built Of mud and wood,
At either end erect there stood;
The furniture was ecant and rough,
But for tie country quite enough,
And taste and cleanliness, in part,
Supplied the want OF richness and II an.
VIII
A double house two stories hight
1t was, with twelve feet pass hetween;
Two bedrooms formed the rear; and nigh
The kitchen stood, well kept and clean,
Disclosing that the gentle care
OF woman's eye and hand were there;
While stag hounds lying III the yard,
And SKINS of buck, and bear, and pafd,
With shot guns, rifles, pouches, slowed
Along the walls, the huntsnIan's preepneo
showed.
The ivy, climbing from the ground,
The windows curtained DER with green,
And wild-rose banners waved around,
And d0ated ont In peace, ween-
txxnsS,
With glowing faces, auburn curis,
Beaming blue eyes, and teeth like pearls
These BY their flowers kept faithful guard
And never was better watch and ward
Over castle held, by vassal or lordl
And no rude boor with william strain
Was he, the master Of that homo;
For mantling full was each blue vein
With blood, whose purple low had Co.,
From Knights who fought in freedoms cs11t
For EDgland's rights and England's laws
when Cromwell in his greatest hour,
At Naseby broke tyrant' p0wer,)
Through Knightly sires who fought aeAiA
With Green, for liberty, ON Eutaw's pIais.
A self-respect intuitive,
And honest, high and fearless heart,
And all that such a heart can give,
Or such respect to man impart.
Were his; and these, without parade
Or undue self-assertiOn, made
His presence deeply felt by those
Who met him, whether friends Or fosa
Yet ON occasion he could be
Alive to frolic, fun and jollity.
His was happy home indeed,
A happy home where sunshine glowods
Where truth and love in peace agreed
And bliss in crystal currents flowed
The mother with her smiling face.
Her s ssss S # e. sS ss
The gray haired father, in his pride
Easy, serene and dignihed-
These were the lights Of that WARM Aro11dA
How genial hospitality
Did there, constant inmate, dWAu,
Unstinted, hearty, warm and ffeo,
'Tw0uld be superflu0us to telE
That was Q common virtue then,
To Bodcaa's homes in grove and giens
For great or small, or rich or poor,
A welcome glowed at every dOori
But this especial pine-log hall
In hospitality Outshone them all
That happy homo has passed swaH
That pine-log hall IL desOlatel
And lnouldering and dark decay,
IL everywhere from door to eata
| Rubbish q on the kitchen fOor,
Half broken hangs tbs dairy door,
Neglected al, the flowers axe dying
And cultureless the fields are lying
| And one wide waste il al around.
Where once broad ard fruitful Msm -
1 -.