The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1886-10-16
Abberille Meriaional.
Saturday, October 16, 1886
Echoes from the Land of the Live Oak
Rayne Signal.

place is always an enjoyable affair
but it is particularly, or ! Nigh, say
supremacy so; when like my own, il
IS spen, in TIE charming semI-rura
town Of Aboeville.
I had been led to regard this town
as the jumping off place OF crea
tion," as a Jealous citizen Of another
place recently remarked OF our OWE
thriving town. Imagine, then, my
sarprise when upon arrival / found a
village of considerable proportions
controlling a commerce that would
90 credit to a town Of more airy
>]pretentions thanI wot Of.
Bot | was still more surprised at
the scenery and environments of the
place. The beautiful Nermilion
river winds its tortnous way past
the town with its banks fringed with
the dark green foliage Of the live
oak, which stands in grateful relief
against the surrounding ocean OF
foliage Of brighter hue. I have
never seen from the brush Of artist
or the pen of poet a description which
could 10 any way measure o convey
10 the mind an adequate idea Of the
beauty and grandeur Of this species
Of the oak. 1t simply stands in its
majestic beauty, with its symmetri-
cal and graceful proportions Sit
houetted against the sky, absolutely
unique, unapproachable aud hides.
cribable. Here, then, is seen in all
''ts glory this pride of the ierest.
stretching its outrageous arms
abroad in silent majesty, as if to for
ever guard against the intrusion of
the stranger, this mysterious Land
of the Sun"
Now you a easily imagine how
much / enjoyed the transition from
the confinement and vexation of The
,school.room to freshness and beauty
OF this sequestrated retreat. In the
dreamy stiffness that pervades the
very atmosphere of this delightful
spot, unbroken save by the OCCASION
al whistle Of an arriving steamer,
one could languidly white away
many sunny hours or fall into the
tRipEan Wrinkle slumber and dream
or forever. But lest some designing
person. ~unsusceptible to the love Of
The beautiful and to the charms OF
nature, a heartless renegade accuse
7ne Of having an "axe to grind.'I
shall desist from further description,
with the reflection that when | re-
sign my seat on the Supreme bench,
/ shall retire to the quiet shades Of
private life amid the romantic oaks
of the beautiful VermiIion.
There is another pleasing f:a.nre
an connection with this place which
always strikes a sympathetic cord in
periphery Of this correspondent. and
that is the presence of 50 many becu-
t1ful ladies. Why, sir, had I long
ago imagined that my heart had
been showed in so deep by a thou.
sand reverses in my experience with
the tickle beings Of whom the poet
remarks: THY name is frailiy," that
the suns of a thousand tropics could
not again tt,aw it into activity. But
| have recently discovered that |
have been the victim of a mos,
delusion, that at least a
little corner" still remained which
was accessible to the "wiIcs of bcau-|
~" prior to my visit to AbbeyilIe.
Alas, It's not there nowl How are
the mighty fallen" etc. Selah.
In yindicaticn of MYSELF, however,
l would state that no man-no. not
even the editor of the Signal,
though he may be up to his eyes in
quartcrsectIons and homestead en-
tries and timher-cultnrc and pre-.
cmption acts, can spend two weeks
in Abbeville, see the galaxy Of beau.
ties that | saw. and come away I'M
moved. No indeed! there are some.
things that human nature can't with.
stand. and if there breathes that man
who Is so debased in his sensibiiities
as that he a remain solidlv indif.
'erent IN the presence Of beauty, I'd
as soon associate with the deuizcns
OF shcOl as with him.
bat there are other particulars in
which the isolated parish of Vermi-
.E'on is far in advance of our own