The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-05-13
SUNNY SOUTH.
yOurneying Through Lazy MANS Laho'
SPRING GARDEN CENTER.

he shall not be disappointed. Happy Is TN
traveller who has formed no air castles VIII
the beauties of Beresford for conspicuous
sdornmcnts, for it will suddenly tumble before
the one country store and two or three plair
dwellings constituting that extensive town
Still more Is he to be congratulated II he ma
prepsred himself to follow a pair Of very
slow mules to his destination, or span the dis
lance on foot in their frequent absences. W.
considered ourselves very fortunate when, al
some patient waiting, the enforced guard ovel
the trunks spoken of in the last letter was ex
changed for a lofty seat i'll a substantial wag
on heavily loaded with household goods bound
for home IN Spring Garden Center. Its own
or was young gentleman formerly of Dixon
Illinois, whose name like ours began with
good honest s. He was evidently glad to meet
two ladies halling from his own state, as the
smiles chasing each other over his good ma
tured face plainly betrayed, and was deter
mined to spare no effort to make the long ride
of seven mile. as brief and comfortable as
circumstances would permit. So while the
mules with easy grace waved their long ears
back and forth, trudging along with imperturb
able dignity in the even tenor OF their ways
we wound on and out through the pines, scan
ned with curious eyes the convenient shelter
of the parasols of the passing groves in vari
Gus stages of babyhood and childhood down
to the edge of their early teens, and listened
with interest to Mr.. SIS animated descriptions
of orange culture, the profits of market gar
dening tor northern cities, the natives, and
the wealthy and attractive young bachelors,
who, exlled from their stately homes for the
sake Of orange lucre, kept their lone halls
among the pines These gentlemen, Mr. S.
declared constituted no small portion of the
community, and he added with pathetic en-
phasis, having tried 1t for himself, he knew
that running a grove and preparing ones own
dumplings was not a romantic affair. Young
ladies, however, we're like angels visits, few
and far between, and he believed would re-
ceive welcome equal to the angels If they
could be induced to favor the vicinity around
Spring Garden with their presence. Like the
French priest in regard to the different varie.
between the northern young lady and the
Cracker girl. The Cracker maiden was
densely ignorant in regard to all subjects In
which intelligent people usually take any in
terest and her mental vision never scared be.
yound the horizon bounding her own sandy
door yard He had called upon young lady
recently, who during the course of the evening
had innocently inquired whether Mr.. Garfield
was dead yet. Mr. $. answered the question,
but mentally wondered whether that shot
which rung around world would have pene-
trated brain so dull. Having given this
striking illustration of the average intelli-
gence of Cracker young womanhood, Mr.. s.
proceeded TO say that If there were young Ia
dies In our section of the country not radically
averse to changing their names and local hab.
itations he would prOphesy that IN Florida
they would find excellent husbands, good
homes and rosy future. We gravely prom
ised that if there were such ladies in or around
Ottawa they should be informed Of the deslra-
BILE intelligence, and through the col.
umns of the FREE TRADER we give the In
formation tor the benefit of those whom it
may concern.
AT this intensely interesting stage the con.
versation was brought to an abrupt termina-
ton, for country store doomed up at the road.
side and Mr.. 5. declaring his intention of fill
ing the brown jug with molasses sprang from
the wagon and rushed through the open door to
purchase the desired article. The owner of u
country store in the pine woods does not tie
himself down to the drudgery OF the counter
unnecessarily nor wear his life out IN the fric.
are inviting HIM out on the front porch. He
does not wait for customers; they wait for
HIM, and If he Is absent In his grove they
hunt him up and transact their little business.
Mr.. 3 found the moIasses barrel but no clerk
was visible He started to the house some
distance away, unearthed leepy.looking boy,
escorted him to the store, filled his jug in the
leisurely way which the dignity of the slow
"
cd in triumph to resume his journey.
As we logged onward Mr.. s. told us the
story Of his long ride from Dixon, ILL.,, to Ma.
con, Georgia, where mud and rain compelled
him 10 take the train for the remainder of the
journey. He had reached Florida IN January
. TO find it robed in blooming green, with an air
as soft and deliciously warm as that of our
late June, and finding plenty OF work on his
hands had neither time nor opportunity to
waste in regrets over the inconvenience of
roughing IT. As the story drew to its close we
turned INTO the broad sandy lane which, with
its orange groves and scattered residences,
forms Spring Garden Center, the hamlet to
which our pilgrim feet had long been wend-
ing.
Inasmuch as this little collection of houses
rum harE not a small nrnnortion nf roc Idaptu az