The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-09-03
Notes from Myra's Portfolio.
a Night and Morning on the Mountains
View Of Sunrise from satouly's Summit.
LAuRELpENE. N. c., August. 1881.

shall take advantage Of the quiet and
the inclemcncy Of the weather which
forbids an excursion to-day, to conclude
the description Of the camping on Mt.
Satouly.
It is an inaccHracy to say we pitched
orr tents on the mountains itself, how
ever, as it was deemed eSpedient by orr
cicc,oui to camp at $he foot of satouly,
because OF the difficulty of transporting
baggage, cooking utensils and provisions
to the summit. 1t was in vain that we
pleaded for a change. in the programme.
The edict Lad gone forth, and we could
do nothing, forsooth, but bend TO
stongcr will and wiser judgment, which
we finally succeeded in doing with
grace, if not ready compliance But
how Iingeringly we rested upon the
crest of the grand old mountain, while
the evening. shadows -were gathering,
and the sunlight all fading away from
the beautiful earth. It seemed as if we
could not stir from the spot where we
we're SO completely separated from the
discorls and workings of the world
| worldly, and wrapped about with the
| wondrous mystery Of the Invisible. It
was almost like descending the high
| heights of thought and feeling, to the
| lower planes Of common, practical ex-
| periencc, when some one Of our party
| exclaimed with, emphasis that owe
must 20 down as supper would be await
ing u.s." OF course we must, pcrforee,
heed that admonition, as much rs such
i recall Jared upon US and sayored Of
the earth earthly" Thus. do our emo
imaginings, ideal states Of feeling with
the mere material, grosser needs, COM
mon thoughts and commonplace duties.
| Always the strange dual lifc-eveiy
where the body and soul the spiritual
and physical,in every action, every
duty and event.
We were quite rcconcilcd to the idea
of not. sleeping OF the rocks upon the
| mountain top, when we reached our
nocturnal abode" and beheld with
wondering. eyes the ravislling beauty of
the scene.
The members Of our party who failed
to make the ascent Of Satouly, had
made themselves busy, and it seemed, as
if by magic, that, i'll what seemed to us
50 short a time, the horses wcro I'M
hitchea, the wagon emptied of its con
tents, lammoclss swung, Il fire built,
and supper almost prepared
1t would require Il very vivid pen
picture to give you an adequate idea OF
this exceedingly gypsy like scene, with
its wild weird beauty. Imagine a lonely
glen, illuminated by the ilickerins light
Of blazing faggots and yulc logs, around
which were gathered a merry crowd O
young people, who constituted after all
. the most brilliant light Of tho whole
| tuS "urblI W. WV AStti3 " 'i'
, the horses We're grazing so unconccrned
" that one would never have suspected
them of approaching a joyful occasion
Then the lammocks suspended from tn
boughs Of the trees, and seeming to III
wife us to rest therein. But sleep did no
. have its realm with us that night! Afte
partalSing Of Il delicious supper, sprea
inyitingly upon the green grass, W
, amused ourselves in divers ways, accord
ing to each individual whim, till til
wee sna' hours had asserted their swa,
+ Ono group enjoyed II game Of cards, thu
:, increasing the similarity to il veritabl
= GYPSY band; the others were gatherc
about in twos and threcs, animated
talking, laughing and titterins keen an
amusing stories, while onr old Gyps
!. King himself reclincl at fill length 0
. the ground near the fire, grimly snoke'
his pipe and watched complaccntly on
mcirmcnt Best of all was when 4 ft
dlcr at the Highlands was sent for, al
then we were no longer Gypsies, bl
!. wood mplls-Drya.lcs dancing glct
:, fully on the lawn in the moonlight, ali
) making the woods rcsonnd with yla
4 echoes of 4 midnight cliin revelry.
;, The scene was changed, and u solen
G stiffness hroodcd over the spot whc
l,,,t +, j.at,
;, by merry jest and gay laughter. o.
guide warned us that if VIC did not tai
= 4 nap, ut least, we should not be pcrmi
- ted to ascend the mountain at dawn
IT see the sun rise. SO to avert the thrca
encd penalty, and not atall because Mo
y phcus was woolng us, we solemn
cssayed to sleep. But how could | Viz
C. the land of Nod cncompassed us VIC We
With such rare loyelincss And so as
- lay III the hammock within a bower
u laurels, through whose bows the moo
Ill beams Inlvcred down, and listened
tile singing Of the katydiis, With t
." cracking fire Tor their sole accumpal
It mc,it, it seemed Il pity to lose consclo,
en- ness Tor Il single moment. Old Snmn
o. obtained the supremacy at last, howcN'
and we awole perfectly refreshed,
~ time ta witness Il gorgeous sunrise ire
ut the crest of the highest mountain in Il
T.. portion of the range. As we sat waltz
upon the rocks for the king Of day
II make his appearance, and the hIigl
nj lutl clouds seemed just i little dimn
j.. ut first than impatient Emsie deem
consistent With sunrise, she cNclain
Il" lisconsulatefy that . We must have nNt
nc slept ourselves and We're now behold
~. another sunset" Soon her fears We're Il
PEELED by the solar rays appearing fir
- behind the mountains. She still u
IS. tested, however, that She could not
l.. III ..i1.