The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-09-10
yILLETvTE'S VIVACITIES.
Fabrics of Fact and Fancy Fashioned by
the Facile Faber of Il Fair Felicianian.
New RoAD, August Il, 1881.

Fabrics of Fact and Fancy Fashioned by
the Facile Faber of a Fair Felicianian.
NEW ROAD, August II, 1881
EDITOR CHIEF:
"I'eni, ridi." So far C;esar's memorable
words to the Roman Senate may be aptly
quoted in my case, "Tici" is moro ap-
propriately changed into ~ am CON
quered by the enervating influence of
Pointe Coupee atmosphere. | have not
a particle of energy left, not an atom of
activity. l thought Bayou Sara a typi-
cal illustration of inertia, but New Road
bears off the palm. What is it ? Can it
be some subtle spell emanating from the
slowly ripping waters of "La Fausse
Riviere," or is it due to some magic
charm laid on the place by the Fairy
Sloth? Such azure skies, such emerald
shade, such tideless waters, lupis- lusui
in tint and unstirred by adverse winds
it is a place, a time to make one dream
of endless rest in swinging hammocks,
or the bliss tina t is found in the passion
less lives of the Lotus Eaters. / can not
blame the people, the aborigines of the
soil, for passing their days in such lux
urious Incidence, since all nature invites
to such dreamy repose. l only wonder
that Alnericans-as Creoles understand
the term, settlers from other places--re-
sIst the soft allurement. Where nature
does SO much for man, can you imagine
why he does not take advantage of the
opportunities offered to render himself
more comfortable or to surmount himself
with more pleasures And yet-the river
flows invitingly before the very doors
here, tempting the lovers Of the "gentle
craft" as Izaac Walton hath it, 20 pisca-
torial pursuits, and not boat disturbs
its placid surface, no one boats for pleas
ure, and although fish abound in the
stream you can net buy one in the mar
ket. The soil is fertile and orchard,
would yield ample return for toll ex.
pended, but only those fruits that may
be said to give their produce sponta-
neously, as figs, mnlberries, etc, are to
be found. If there are others your depo-
nent lNioweth it not, since they have
been invisible during walks and rides.
With fine pasture lands the cattle are
Indifferent in appearance and the horses
small and inferior In fine, it is a case
where
Every prospect pleases,
And only man is vile.
Nature does too much and man too little,
the golden mean is yet to be reached by
the New Roader so as to e1ualize nature
and art AS soon as you touch the Pointe
Gonpee side Of the river, it scarcely needs
the touching petition inscribed upon the
first church you see, "St. Francis, ora
pro nobis,' to convince you that you
are in another country and among an
other people as widely separate from
stirring American communi-
ty as if an ocean rolled between 1t is
the land of lean and Jacquc, land where
the natives are content to live as their
fathers lived a century ago, disturbed
by no ambitious dreams; where the com
ng steps of progress are looked upon
With as disquletcd an eye as Robinson
1rusoe's when he gazcd upon the mys-
,erious tracks upon his lonely island /
IAN liken it to nothing else but the Sleep
ng Beauty of the fairy tale, awaiting
he arrival of the Prince Enterprise, who
shall awaken her by kiss infusing new
ite and vigor i'll her spell-bound senses. |
Nay he come soon, is my fervent petition
for unless he does, fear those ancient /
datcaur Oh either side of the Long Road |
will tumble into irreparabIe ruin, or the /
ralkless highway will soon require other
md newer props.
There are some pretty and comfortable
ooking houses of course, evidently be-
onging to families who are not ambi-
ious of the distinction attached to old /
ogyism. Among these l might mention
he pretty cottages of Judge Yoist, Mr..
Claiborne, Mr.. Pourcean and several |
theirs whose improvements show that |
Ire hundred years sleep is waxing to an
I =.
0 for the Banner of Pointc Coupe The
eople are polite ard genial in nature, as
nipple minded and kindly attectioned to
he another as their Acadian prototypes,
and Gabriel, tolerant of other
reeds and all the pecularIties of Les
loasjes'i,.e- The pntois is simply deli
distinguished 'bstv" OF the Hagua franca
would give a p'ilolosist a LIE IT, that
upation to fathom, and dciies all but I
'honetic writing to reproduce its soft I
enunciation. "Calm content" /
eigns supreme; "if few their wants, /
heir pleasures are but few" a wedding,
dance, and the easy duties of Mother
'hurch make up the sum of their simple
No coming events cast their
onbre shadows athwart the path that
; always sun-lit to them, the Epcurean
lotto of Ca1pe diem may we'll be theirs
aid one the other day when asked why
c did not surround himself with more
omforts at home, ''You see me so, me
ch, me got house, me got wife, me got
hill'en, me got two shirt, me rich, you
ee me So" Could Vanderbilt or an
stor extract more pleasure from the
ossession of countless ingots, than does
lis sinnlf Lare-fnnt ;Calian from tie |