The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-12-01
Our Uncxplored Wilds.

a most amazing diversity OF types of
humanity. And it would really prove
nu interesting siudy. mad one the time
TO spare for such studies to investigate
the character and account for the cause
of such diversity. Often, in even n
brietrailway journey, these diversites are
| vividly presented TO the mind. Here.
from one corner may he heard the soft,
! gliding, yet clear accents which proclaim
TIE dweller in the Low Country :"
! p,ooably they come from n stately old
| gentleman whose graceful courtesy and
dignity OF air are shown even in the
| slight necessary intercourse he holds
with the conductor. Here a voice, n
little harsher perhaps, with marked
difference in The pronunciation of the
vowel sounds, may be Enthusiastically set
down as of the up. Country" It's
owners manner, too, is different; less
| polished. perhaps, but more hearty,
with certain rugged dignity, not with.
out beauty. Here, we note the soft,
, gliding accents again less clear and
moro careless rs regards the finer shades
of enunciation than the old gentlemnn's; !;
almost lapsing, nj times, into strange
un English sounds. yet having, from
this very popularity, certain odd
charm Of its own. This voice belongs
! without doubt TO a dwellcr on one Of
the Islands that skirt the coast. Md
he speak with The abrupt crisp clear.
ness of the up.countrymnu, or omit his
cherished provinc;a.sinS. how could he
make his wishes ineligible to the wild
"hands" who ill his fields and spcak Il
pdtois Of their own?
To cars accustomed TO note the shades
of accent in voice and speech, and TO
'onc familiar with every nook and cor.
ner of South Carolina, il would not he
difficult task even IL name, or ut any
rate approximate, the county which each
of these travellers claims rs his own.
y few moments Of conversation with
each would soon convince the student of
diversified speech" that in made of
thought, in opinions. in objects Of rev.
erencc or aversion, these inhabitants of
The same little Stale are rs unlike us
in their pronunciation Of the vowel
sounds. Here, one will speak of his
! nntive city with certain calm assur.
! ance Of its superiority in manners and
customs, and in fact in all else, to the
rest Of the world an assurance, indeed,
which Is so so-periect, so immovablc, that
1t hold. no tingc Of arrogance, rising
into the dignity of fnith Hero another
Will discuss that same city with no in
tention to offend, but with an air which
seems to ask the old, scornful question,
Can any good come out OF Naza-
reth p
The Up countrymnn ridicu.cs nc
queer sound the Low -countryinun gives
to certnin common words, and brings up
Webster or Worcester TO support his
views. The Low. cnuntryman smiles and
slrugs his shoulders. Is Webster or
Worcester infnllible? So he goes on
prononncing rs his father and his faith
er's father did before him. "Custom,"
lie tells you, 'is the only safe guide"
The further inland one goes. away
from the coasts and the lowlands nnd
nearer tie borders Of North Carolina, the
stranger To one nc, u,tomcd to l0wlaud
ways grows the nspec; Of the people and
the sound of their tongues. They travel
thousands Of miles TO study strange
types of men, when here, at our own
door, lies AZ nnexplorcd region, present.
ing most peculiar features . TO be sure,
the eye must be one enger to read the
poetry that lies in (sn.calletl common
things, quick to appreciate the finer ele-
ments OF romance which may invest even
eye the wilder hooks Of our own little
subjects" Mrs. Burnett has seized
South Carolina, and developed it in
Louisiana" with her usual power Of
grasping detail and imbuing herself with
the very spirit of the thing described.
But there Is n type little lower down in
the social scale than "Louisiana," az vet
unpor.rayed the full as Strongly
marked with individual peculiarities.
Go into some retired wild" of South
Carolina, away from the retinemenis of
her centres, away from tho bright activ.
ity of her growing towns, into some prim-
tive spot-and there are many esuch-
aud watching the strange teams winding
along the country roads, noting the
dress and bearing OF their still stranger
drivers, you can almost imagine yourself
in some foreign land, among beings
whose ways you cannot understand.
Here comes 4 subject"
The great canvas. covered wagon.
drawn by oxen, not milk.white and
Juno.eyed, rs you might see in Italy, nor
plump and Of tender dun like those
Of England ,ssbnt with wild and scraggy
strength and dignity all their own.
Their dull and yet defiant looks are mir
rored in their drivers face. Not the
comfortable, hale and hearty farmer"
of the story books, but lean and sun
Drowned man, wiry but STOPPING, with
unkempt hair and beard, and glancing,
defiant eyes, which have n certain surly
pride. dc Keeps on his slouchcd and
shabby hat, and he addresses you us
"you-uns." and he detics ives. that 10
the word, for he certainly does not so.
licit,) you to buy his cabbages. Only q
man with cabbages to sell. But he is
man for all that, living II mans life,
clod like though that life may be, with
mans dreams and desires and passions
and pains, limited as they may all be by
his narrow horizon. Could one enter
into the true inwardncss' of such life.
new type, in this age of stale things.
.hight be presenred to the student Of hu-
manity. But this man with cabbages TO
sell is fenced about with wild pride
which creates rs impossible n bar.
rier as the carefully cultivated
self-posscssion Of the man of cities
and of the world. "Thus far. and
no farther" the child of culture SAYS,
with smile like ice, and courtesy as
repelling az it is perfect. "Stand OFF,
the cabbage man says. meaning the snme
thing; but he says it by his shy and saw
age looks, and the grim defiance that
would demand the respect that fortune
has not yielded him. Buy his cabbages,
and perhaps rs he lazily takes the reins
again he may remark in casual way
that he has butter, tOo-or apples Not
with the least apparent intention of al.
lowing you to buy them, however, for he
cracks his whip and opens his mouth.