Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-10-23

a church bell as they dropped one by
one into the stiffness of the Sabbath
evening, aud wonder who it was that
was dead. Finally the long black cor
tege wound through to the echoless
streets, and l went back into the regu.
lation hotel parlor.
The hooking birds had US up bright
and early next morning, and we took a
long walk, which led us past many state
ly and ponderous mansions stained with
the rains of many years, but which
showed that in the times of long ago the
people of the Capital city have possess
ed large means and lived handsomely.
The gentle slopes of the land were abso-
lutely refreshing to eyes so used to the
monotonv of fiat ground as mine. The
fields and stretches of ground every
where were covered with long feath-
cry grass. which is growing golden
brown under the warm October sun
and is as graceful as willow plnmes.
This grass is oddly enough called Yam.
kee weed, because it was never known
to grow in the parish at all until the
blne coats of the Yankee soldiers had
made their appearance in the little city.
W didn't 20 into the graveyard, but
o. looked over the fence. In the Gen.
tel OF this peaceful, white-tombed city
of the dead stands tall black Catholic
cross, its long arms reaching out in end
less benediction over the dead lying
there. At the foot of the cross on All
Saints Day the priests hold services,
and l can imagine that robbed of the
bazaar-like features that belong to All
Saints Day as in New Orleans, the servi-
ccs of commemoration Of the dead in
this cemetery must be very beautiful.
Hereafter, if any one ever asks me
where is to be found that proverbial
Southern hospitality. for which our
State was once 90 famous, shall en-
phatically declare in Baton Rouge.
Never in the history ofconventions were
people more delightfully."- entertained
than were the members of the press con-
vention, both in public and purely So
cial way. The citizens provided car
riages, and the whole convention pro-
ceeded to do the public institutions.
Gen. Jastremski, the very handsome
and courtly mayor of the city, was
master of ceremonies, and probably, with
laudable desire to allow the editors to
renew old acquaintance, the first place
ne took US to, was the penitentiary.
l never thought to break bread in pen
itentiary, my dear, but we did sample
the convict fare and found it very good
and wholesome; but, oh, it was dread
tul place. The cells were scarcely bigger
than tombs for the dead each one con-
tanned a narrow he'd, not much wider
than coffin, and the cell barely allows
room for the convicts to crawl into their
cots. Everything seemed scrupulously
clean. The might of the law never was
so evident to me as when we were inside
of that silent, impregnable State prison.
think if the initiation of public officials
into Office consisted of a ten days visit
to the penitentiary the effect upon pub
lie morals, or at least upon their morals,
would be very beneficial to the public's
welfare.
The average Baton Rouge girl is as
pretty as a picture. We saw lots of
them at the press ball, or, at least, at
the ball given in honor of the press, but
which, I'm sorry to say, the majority
of the press representatives didn't have
the politeness to attend. Yes, she is
pretty-she has studied the artistic in
dress this far-that her costume is en-
tirely free from exaggerations of any
iind-and that l should think is a tri-
amph worth any woman's consideration.
She is modest in her manner-courteous
n her treatment of strangers, and bright
md chatty in her talk. And that re-
minds me-"Chatty"-the occasional
md entertaining correspondent of the
oicayune who, if you recollect, gave us
through the medium of her pen such
pretty descriptions of the Centennial,
ives in Baton Rouge. She is now Mrs.
William H. Rhodus, and was told that
he is just as bright and deserving of
Ter nom de plume as ever.
You never saw such a town for flow
rs in your life Horticulture is an art
With the people; they cultivate only
he rarest Of plants, and if | had as
many words as the flowers had petals I
ouldn't begin to tell you of the infinite
'arletles of roses, dahllas aud japonicas
hat transformed my room while there
10.