The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1886-11-06
Letter from Prairie 4arei-.

I
Since last | sent you greetings,
am a missionary on the beautiful
uudu|ating meadows OF Crane
Prairie. with the rich foliage of the
evergreen woods of Coulee Kinney
in the east. and the stately grove,
Of Bayou Queue dc Tortu in the
west; and as / view this vide ex
panse of country, clothed in living
green, / am so impressed with the
beauties of uature. and tue grandeur
Of the universe, needs must sing
songs of praise to the sons of the
pioneers Of these grand prairies, who
wcnded their. way from the bleak
shores of Canada and settled here
as their adopted home. Though the
sobriquet of Cain" has been be-
slowed upon them as an epithet of
reproacb, they should remember it's
no blot on the bright escutcheon of
their gallant race; and while | con
demn not the gay parlance of sunny
France, [ should rather they would
sing the grand songs:
or shakspeare's deep and wondrous verse,
And Miltons lofty mind;
With Aewton's laws and Sh-l.sys verse,
To bless aud cheer mankind.
Born to a free and easy life, with
a deep love for their broad prairies.
blessed with a fertile soil and sunny
cline. they have failed to keep pace
with the advance of the surrounding
world, which has long caused the
banner of the creole State to trail
in the gloomy vale of ignorance,
while her guardian angel has wept
over the rcproaches of her sister
States.
But now, we do hope the day has
come, when Acadia's sous will no
longer repose in . life of ease,
charmed by the song Of the wooing
siren, but will be SO infused with the
spirit of progress that, in the Ian.
guage of the noble statesman, they
will earnestly cry: I'VE must edu
cate. We must educate or be lost
in the plutonian night of ignorance.
Then will the banner of the Pelican
State wave its folds in the morning
breeze, and her glittering star in
the zepith shine resplendid in the
constellation of States. Already in
Grand Prairie Acadia's youths have
started up the tortuous hill Of knowl.
edge. 1t was my first experience, in
the lively parlauce of sunny France,
said l, to the youths there assembled:
L am here to show you how to spell
and read right" and, now" says
to a bright looking fellov of twelve
Or thirteen years of age. i want to
see if you can read the third chapter !
in the first reader, after the manner
Of the School Board, giving the ris.
ing and falling infections, due en-
phasis and rhetorical cadences ?"
Chrome 2 says he. "Never mind
the chrome, just now," says l; Il
will give yol the chrome after
awhile, provided you 90 we'll; but
now I want to see if you can read
right; so. go ahead. will you? "Quas.
'ay?" says he. OF! l see. says l,
vou are one of the smart ones, and
want to stumble me on foreign ter
l know that's a Latin
,r Greek quotation, and If had my
dictionary here, I'd be even with |
iou, and don't you forget it. How
,vcr, we'll let "Quas-say" 60 for the
present, and III see if you can spell |
light. =
Now, l want to see who can spell !
'aker, according TO Hoyle, dividing !
he word into syllables, and the syl |
ables into vowels, semi,yoyels,
iQuids and mutes. | saw they all !
ooked astounded, and said not
word. my great stars alive" says
!, lis it possible none Of you chill
lrep know how to talk!" | george,
veil have to start yon, aray doom in
he fundamental el,ments, sure
and while ] was in a quan.
larry what to do. it struck me, per-
'sps, they couldn't hear. Now"
ays |, Il am going to ring this bell,
nd all who hear it, say So" Did
on hear ,ha,?' They all said, "aoe.'
Well" says |, Il am powerful glad
ro 40, bo,r, fnr &c 7 boJ IN show