Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-01

ceaSetess leaps among the clover. sound
ing their little narpstrings as they hopped
from covert TO covert.
1t is the autumn. 1t is The autumn 9,
they seemed to say. This is our last
dance They will turn the lights out
presently"
And the bastard daisies. the pink var
raw, the golden rod, the yellow snap-
dragon, the occasional tardy clover heads
and belated dandeliOns that fringed the
roadside seemed full Of the thought and
drank eagerly all the sunshine they could
md; while the naples and sumacs. the
virginia creeper and the blackberry
vines running along the stone walls were
pranking themselves in gay reds. deter
mined that the season should 20 out in a
blaze Of glory even though their ball
dresses cost them their existence.
Gerrit lay in the neXtvaliey, beyond the
mountain which faced QuInnimout. and
when the chaise came up they pressed on
10 the clambering road wlich made a
way TO their destination through the hills.
1t attacked the mountain by a brave
steep at flrst, then wound artfully about
IT, snatching an advantage when il could
and lifting itself gradually TO The summit.
They rode along the levels. when they
had climbed the long hill, at 4 swinging
trot, and when they came to the frequent
lncInes dropped the rein upOn their
they would.
As they came from time TO time upon a
clearing they caught dissOlving views of
the fertile valley below, at which Con-
stance refused to look, keeping the sensa-
ton untasted until it could be known in
its entirety. The fresh light Of the sun.
not yet five hours old, fell softly on the
tree tops, and the lower branches made
wide nets TO take it on their various
Ion hn-
lings and succu!ent young grOwths grewsO
+ thickly that the brightness with difficulty
slited through the green. and the naples
and chestnuts only knew by what indirec-
tons. The wOOdpeckers were beating
their reYellle, and this, with the merry
hum OF the bees, the chattering of the
gay-hued orioles and the steady hOOf-falls
were often the only sounds that broke the
stiffness rs they stopped under q wild
grape vine, or cOntented their eyes with
the graces which the sunshine wrought in
the woods.
March told Constance as they rode Of
the constitution Of Gerrit and his hopes
for its success. He said that it was not a
commune except in the best sense. that is.
that every man had common interest
although property was separate.
Our aim Is modest enough. WcdOnot
hope u reyOluti0niZs the world; we do
not think this tae Oslly way, but only one
convenient way, or an experiment toward
Nc, and Sd we don't compassionate the re-
mainder o. mankind. nor attempt TO pros
elyte them. There are thousand needs.
and 1 am cropping toward an answer 10
only one OF them. ] shouldn't even like to
claim tnatOur association II founded upon
an idea. Taese Een Who have been
. brought over here are neg FourieTijes.
( They have merely natural wish 20 live
as comfortably az they can, and 10 get rs
much rs possible out of lie. II that IS
an iuea d. IS g1t a peTllouS one nor likely
to breed qUarrslS. The trouble in com
mune has always beer 10 md out what
the idea was. There were differences Of
opinion. Hs ia the world. and their mem
I beers have broken up and gone their own
WAYS finally To 90 what they might gen
orally have done Ill the beginning: that is,
] to follow their inclination. 1t was the
| misfortune Of the poorer class at Gerrit
/ that they couldn't follow their inclina-
ton, nor was there anything in the sys-
TEN under which they lived to teach them
I that IL was lawful 20 have such thing, or
. % use IL 70 any profitable end, If by chance
/ they did. Bringing them across the water
. and placing them here is merely cutting
( pdlh for them. They are together be-
I cause il was thought that this end was
/ more easily attained by that method than
4 by scattering them. Trey are being given
U
but further than that nothing viii be done
% assist them. 10 is simply offering them
an opportunity. A plot Of ground is as
signed 60 tBem; they build their houses
themselves out OF logs, and they pay for
their land bv yearly installments out Of
the profits of their crops. The assOcia-
ton Will buy il back if they should ever
wish 20 leave; or, if they remain, they
can buT out the entire settlement II they
can find the money
some one tells me that the people in
Qulnuim0Ut have all kinds OF fancies
about your object. None Of them are like
that"
''No, they imagine that we mean to do
away with money and bring back barter,
and 70 force all farmers to live in com
munitIes by bringing down the prices OF
Things through cooperation
The view from the summit included both
valleys. That from which they had come
was the more cultivated, but the vale be-
low, in which March pointed out the raw,
half-built houses OF Gerrit, seemed quite
as fertile. Constance glanced over the
prospect which was free 20 the horizon on
all sides. The mountains made a perfect
circle, and looked down from every quar-
ter upon the smiling plains which tie
gnOmes that dwell in volcanoes mad for
borne to UpheaVe when the geology of this
region was enactIng and the hills were
lifted TO the society Of the clouds.
Constance imagined the farm-dOtted
landscape a Chess-bOard. The square
plowed fields were the black spots and
the green meadows did for the others. She
made the stone houses castles, and the
ordinary houses went for pawns, the oaks
and other pOrtly trees for bishops. Where
she saw u horse she kcighted it. The
rare orchards planted in regular rows,
she liked to fancy acrOsticS, and TO read
them up and down and across.
There were several new houses COM
pleted at Gerrit besides the fine old man
sion OF the Revolutionary period which
had been the residence of former owners.
The SQUAD of hammering flied the air,
and host OF men were hurTying about
in their short sleeves. Some OF the wO-
men were washing before their embryonic
homes. and the cheerful doors of many
preparing dinners made their way to the
nOstrils through the ap0rtures which were
one day to be covered with roofs, as we'll
as through the natural Orifices.
While he was yet in his saddle March
was surrounded by Numerous group Of
the colon ists. One of them announced
that certain of the COWS had broken pas
ture; another said that the corn which
they mad bought upon their arrival ready
planted upon one OF their fields had been
touched by frost. A third wanted in
StruCtiOnS about shingles, and another
offered the information that Jem Carver
had not been seen since the night before.
Drunk, | suppose" said March.
Yes, sir, l doubt he IS"
''Send him TO me when he comes back
With the ether embarTassments he
dealt promptly, giving rapid orders as he
alighted and helped his guests to do the
same.
Constance asked that she might be al
lowed 20 make acquaintance with the
women for herself.
Il don't want them to feel that am Il
visitor she said.
March assented with a smile OF intelli-
gence, and she gathered up her riding
skirt and walked swiftly over to the first
woman she saw. She was washing and
took one OF her hands out of the tub to
smooth an obstinate strand of hair while
she curtsied with respectful wonder.
Constance had taken of her glove and
braYely shook her hand. she had gained
experience in this kind OF thing during
the last half year. She had, by one OF the
WOmanly intuitiOns, found the common
ground upon which alone the ignorant
ard distressed are successfully met. She
neither cOndescended to them rOr pitied
them. 50 far as she sympathiZed with
them she made 1t seem the natural SYM
patty Of one woman for another, and she
surrounded il all with dignity which
asked no more than 1t gave, and which
commonly won their instant and faithful