The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-10-22
VILLETTE'S VIVACITIES.
Fabrics of Fact and Fancy Fashioned by
the Faci1e Faber Of a Fair Feiicianian.
WEST FELICIANA. Oct. Is, 1881.

WEST FELICIANA. Oct. Is, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
If, as is said, our pleasures are only
pleasures because contlasted with previ
GUS misery, .then OH this lovely autumna1
morning I ought to experience the acme
Of rapture; for how can any sensation
surpass the exquisite pleasure of conva'
leseence, the joy of feeling again reviving
health and strength after weeks Of suffer
ing; the delight of gathering up again
in the hand which falls no longer weak
and nerveless at your SIDE, the. scattered
threads of life and duty7 1t seems to me
that never have I seen Nature looking SO
beautiful as now her ,utumnal garb is
lovelier than that will which she decked
herself in the .summa gone by. The
woods are putting on their carnival robes
of gold and scarlet hues; and if the flow
ers have nearly all.passed away, the
ripened fruit of many tall and aaunt-
ing weed shows as much brightness OF
color and. .delicacy of texture as the fair
est blossom that graced the forest paths
but yesterday The milk-weed has burst
its seed-pods and the tiny seedlets, re-
joicing in freedom, arc waited on their
silky filaments through the soft air in
company with the plune-like dispersions
of the thistle head. Who can say whittier
they fly and upon what All-wise mission 2
Types Of immortality-when that which
"Is sown in weakness shall be raised in
power" The flowers are not all gone,
the golden rod, acepter of Autumn's s
reign, lifts its yellow head proudly on
the hillside, the fair and tiny blossom
Of the tar-grass,
White like snow,
And like snow not gen t1ro' by eye or sun,
encircle the mossy banks with wreaths
of beauty, the patridge-pea, gay in its
yellow, crimson-dtted vest mods like o
saucy harlequin toevery passing breeze,
and few bold butercups still hold up
their pollen-crowBd antlers in sunny
hooks where the ,un yet beams with
summer ferveney. Have you ever noticed
that each season seems to have a'partic
ular color or shadesof color consecrated
to itself as it were 7 In the spring while
the tenderest Of ti,ts appear, "Blue, sill
ver-white and budled Tyrian," the deli
cate hues Of the Dsy peach and apple
blooms, and the Amt radiance of the
violet and lilac; yet these colors all
yield their beauty % the spotless purity
of the myriad white flowers which then
beautify the earth. In the summer
deeper and brighter olors are seen, the
crimson OF the rose, the soft splendor of
the poppy, and the ruddy hue of the
ripened peach md luscious strawberry
seem to predoninate over all others !;
summer f1owersare
Scarlet tufts
Glowing within ts green like e lakes Of fire.
Like gallantknight Of olden times,
Autumn wears lis lady's scarf of bright
est yellow and rimson; the vivid hues
of "Golden ant flame like flowers" are
the last upon Which the beauty-loving
eye delights forest; nay, not only are
those colors shown in the late flowers,
but they are reroduced upon the leaves
of our forest tree in dazzling shades.
The mighty hs fallen in Israel. The
President had lpgered so long that we
ut last began t. believe that SO much
endurance, sucf great tenacity of life
would in the enc win the battle against
death, but it wa not to be so,
He gave his honor to the world again,
His blessed part to 1eaven, and sleeps in peace.
Death must cone like o blissful dream
to those who haze grown wearied in the
conflict of life, where cares and troubles
"Wild beasts at Ephesus," assail the
trembling combdant; or to those whose
faltering steps AID nerveless limbs tell
that the forescor. years of the Psalmist
are passed; but to him who has bnt now
armed himself for the arena whore
brightest hopes wait upon ambition
who has but tasted of the Intoxicating
wine of success-rho sees the upward
path of misunderstanding to the hill
OF Fame whore triumph shall crown his
eforts-to such one how bitter must
be the summons witch bids him leave all
for the gloom andsilence of the grave.
Happy the one VIII, like Garfield can say,
"Lord, thy Servants roady," and who
Sustained and soothedby an unfaltering trust,
Wraps the drapery ofl,s couch about him,
And lies down to pieaant dreams.
1 must really Try peccavi! It was
fair, and certainly not in good
taste to partake f the hospitality of a
people and then e.pose all the little pc
culiarities which were so patent to an
'toutside barbarian" l humbly crave
pardon of the Nov Readers, and thank
the Banner for its mild and courteous
reply. l am most willing to make
amends by acknowledging that perhaps
the drought and dust and other mid-sum-
rner disagreeablcs had so affected the
residents Of the pretty little town on
False River as to render them oblivious
of the "noise of the hammer, and the cry
VI tlc 1ufll. lleiCtittl ~ W III DC W iScA
when visit is contemplated, to warn
them in the language of Robbie Burns:
A chiefs amang ye ,aking notes,
And faith, she'll preat it.
Some time since was the obliged re-
cipient Of song written by an attache
of the CHIEF, Mr.. A. j. Reynolds; and,
not protesting to be anything
of musical critic, I must say that it
deserves the concentrations of
the press, which see have been SO liber-
ally bestowed upon it. l trust this is
but the initial effort of the deserving
author, and that success awaits him aud
the productions Of his pen, in the future.
My thanks are also due for kind in
to the soirie dansante given by
the Terpsichorean Club Of Donaldson
vile, on the 9th Of last month. can
wall iYpa rim from fha apcour,t in tha