The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-09-27
Editorial correspondence.
NEAR HoumA. La, Sept. 20, 1882.

SenSiDie, L Wouiu diiliCt tuiss I,ciSoii " 80
a duplicate of the rheumatic Epains
which have seized upon my body and
held disputed sway for several days.
St. Jacobs oil, nor silent but sincere
prayer have awaited, and just now my
mind is more upon the Hot Springs of
Arkansas than upon any other subject
in the world, for have longtime heard
that their water was an antidote for the
complaint that now fortunes me.
1t is terrible-this feeling, as if your
bones and joints had gotten
into war with each other and were de-
termined to fight it out on certain lines
even if it takes them all the summer
and winter. My right hip seems to be
the field upon which the battle just now
is most fercely raging, and the way in
which all the missiles of war are used
makes me think that regular seige is
going on, with no prospect of surrender
from either contending faction. | think
some of my most important joints have
bolted and disturbed the peace and har-
mony of my democratic organization.
l feel more keenly my sufferings be-
cause | am surrounded by SO much that
would, under other circumstances, make
life pleasant Here / sit and grunt
spasmodicalIy in the broad front porch
of a beautiful residence-house lately
erected by Mr.. r. r. Barrow, 3 miles
below the town of Houma. The build
ing sits in lovely grove about four
times the size Of the Square in Winches-
ter. The great evergreen trees are
draped in grey moss, which hangs In
long tresses, reminding me Of the luxu
when it fell down in graceful careless
ness over the snow-white shoulders of
fair ones who played cruel pranks with
my tender heart in those "happy days
now gone forever" 1t is really lovely
pendan. moss intermingled
with green foliage, where scores of
mocking-birds are holding a grand con-
cert even as ] write. And pleasant is |
the gulf breeze which so often comes to
make me forget the heat and oppressive
sultriness when it does not blow. But |
sigh not, kind reader, to exchange the |
hills and mountains and rushing streams |
of old Franklin county for any other
scenes. Said great writer : 1t is the
nature of man to overrate present evil |
and to underrate present good; to long
for what he has not and to be dissatis-
fed with what he has. Nature has
done enough for all, and every place
which s'the eye of Heaven visits" ought
to be a place of happiness. Give us the
capital and the enterprise in Franklin
county which they have here in Terre-
hox III
the advantage. Strange as it may
seem, we do believe the people here are
more energetic than our people They
conquer swamps and create fertile fields
by ditching and labor, overcoming OBJ
staeles which, we fear, would cause too
many of car people to despond. And
yet, methink, if scenery, climate and
natural surroundings affect ones char
acter, the people here would be slug
gish. There are no springs of cool, re-
Freshing water here; no rushing
streams no towering hills no blue
The land does not wash
t cannot For miles and miles-one
hundred or more to the north, and thirty
or so to the guilt is almost dead
Hat, and the rains just "soak in" There
Ire miles and miles of rich, waving SUI
gar-cane, almost ready now to be cut
md ground. All the balance is swamp
and, with huge trees and tangled un-
through which the sun can
scarcely penetrate-a home of security
'or snakes, alligators and wild animals.
How one can hunt in such place is to
ne mystery, and yet there are hunters
here who have packs of hounds, and
bring in two or three bears as
trophies of their skill. ct may be re-
'reshing to Capt. Tom. Gregory to learn
that the two hounds he sent from VIM
chester to r. r. Barrow are two of the
best bear dogs in this parish, and are
FULLY acclimated.)
II may be remembered that years ago,
n my letters from here, l complained
much of musketers. The good people
mere laugh at me for such complaint,
md say 1 would soon ssget used to
.hem." / hardly think I would. They
10 not worry me in day time, but when
the shades of evening come and the stars
If heaven CLEAN -the very hour l most
enjoy, when can look up and silently
worship God and all His wonderful
,reation-then it is down here that the
nusketers come in colonies and COM
nence boring artesian wells into my
obese body until | wish myself star,
or something else as far removed from
,he Internal phlebotomy of this imp of
Satan. Verify, my little boy David,
not yet three summers old, did not COM
nit much of solecism when he cried
put the first night when he was here that
The aligators were eating him up. l
actually felt sorry for him. But there
ire no house flies here. / wonder at
his. Perhaps the musketers have ex-
terminated them. The few that are
eft are only to be seen when there are
40 musketers around, and then they look
scared and careworn.
find the people in this Congression-
Il district perturbed in politics about as
much as we are in Tennessee. Here
there are three candidates for Congress
Judge Taylor Beattie, W. P. Kellogg,
and Hon. Joseph H. Acklen. Beattie
IS Republican, but was once a slave
owner and Colonel in the Confederate
army. Kellogg is carpet-bagger, and,
Is you know, has an unenviabie national
notoriety. Acklen is a Democrat, and