Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-06-21
Gliding Toward Sunland.


our good, staunch steamer foated out
upon the broad bosom of the great Mis-
sissippi river which, flowing southwark
for more than three thousand miles,
gathers to itself all the smaller streams
along its way, carrying them down to
the great gulf.
The most picturesque scenery of this
river is found above the point at which
we entered it, and one needs to make
the trip northward to the falls of St.
Anthony to know all its beauties.
Coming south from Cairo, the impress
sion at first is one of awfulness; per-
haps with some it rises to sublimity.
There is feeling that We have drifted
away from the busy world; that we
have burned our bridges behind US, and
have entered upon something new and
strange and 0ery quietly. There are
the little villages where we land now
and then, to take on few bales of cot
ton, or leave little freight; but even
these seem to have no connection with
the busy, bustling outside world. Some
times We 60 up the streets of the little
hamlets-quiet, sleepy places, where
the people might dream away their three
score years and ten and never rouse, if
there was not an election riot now and
then.
Reaching Memphis in the early dawn
we wait until the sun has chased away
the fog, and then set out to climb the
bluff and get look at the fever-cursed
city. [ half expected to find the busi-
ness houses closed, the dwellings
desolate, and every man, woman
and child in mourning. Instead. busi-
ness seemed brisk and thriving; the
houses showed no indication of the fire.
quent visits of the pale horse which
came so often for its burden, and there
was no manifest encouragement or grief
about those whom | met.
Perhaps the logic of the woman who
had been four times widow applies
there. When some Of her sympathiz-
ing friends undertook to condole her in
her last bereavement, she rather resent
ed it, exclaiming: LA, me You must
think IN uncommon stupid, if I've been
through this burryin' business four
times and amt used to it yet"
And "they do say that the Memphis
matrimonial market hasn't been dead
the past winter, and that the spring
outlook for weddings is very encourag-
ing to ministers who want extra pocket
money to get away with next summer.
Memphis has some fine blocks of
buildings, well-built, substantial, and
indicating wealth. Back from the bus
iness streets there are elegant residences
homes so stately. one would suppose
even deaths grim messenger would hes.
itate to enter unbidden. The shade
trees are numerous and the streets wide
Is the city clean? No; yet they tel
me it is better than it has been fol
years. A large sum of money has beer
expended hundred thousand dollars
at least-improving the sewers, cleans
ing the city, and preparing against al
attack of the scourge. Heaven gran
they may find their efforts successful
but l shall be happily disappointed i
Memphis escapes having the fever tn,
coming summer
Leaving Memphis, we are soon below
the line of Tennessee, and have Missis
| sippi on the one side and Arkansas Of
the other. Between the landings ther
are long stretches of timber, with no,
and then small clearing in whic
stands tiny cabin. Sometimes Ion
woman comes to the river bank, an
pushing her sun-bonnet we'll back
shades her eyes with her hand, watch
ing our steamer until a curve in th
, river shuts us from her view. Some
r times the voices of children reach ou
. ears, sounding like an echo across th
wide stretch of waters sometimes th
r bloodhounds bay at US as they do &
: the silvery moon.
l wonder where the bread come
u from to feed the mouths in the cabin
and the pilot tells me that over beyon
the line of trees which skirts the rive
there is cotton patch. Perhaps thei
g is no other house for twenty miles
O neighbors are an almost unknown quar-
o tity, and the boats passing up and dow
e the river are almost the only glimpse
u of the outside world these people ge
The mails reach them only semi-occ
sionally they know scarcely anythir
,, about what is being done, and have
n fact neither part nor parcel in the gre
is rushing thing we call business, beyor
h the fact that contribute a few bales
D cotton for the weavers' shuttle, and a
y sorb few bags of corn, and dozen
= so hogs, which the great boats bril-
D down. They may be rocking a futu
,r president or military hero in their cab
s cradle, but his infantile convulsions
"a not disturb the outside world.