The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-02-12

/ DluP NaCntlnp suit, anu Win long;
yellow hair falling free, was play
ing on real old mandolin in one ol
the jaunty pavilions, as We passed ;
but her voice was a Yankee one,
wherefore we knew she was not to
the manor born. We caught the
words
''All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly roam,
Still longing for the old plantation,
And for the old folks al home"
given with such expression that
fancied the yonng tourist was de-
cidedly hOmesick for some New
England landscape where the
house OF her nativity stood, ut that
moment, up to the window sills in
snow.
| wonder why our artists go
abroad to loiier along the dykes OF
Holland or to study, over aud over,
the old fishing villages of France,
while such towns as Bay St. Louis,
in our own land, lie aud dream
through Il century of neglect. |
looked through thiuly set grove
of old and messy live oaks ;hat
covered low prOmOntory, and saw
the Gulf beyond, with its islands
and sails, and ] bought what a sug,
gestion it was for some genius TO
work mp.
We met the students Of the
Catholic college, ont for IA walk,
going two and two, with a fine
faced young cross bearing priest at
their head. We went as far south
as to the great square, pyramidal
rooted mansion built just before the
war by Andrew jackson DonelSon.
1t stands on il natural mound, IN a
state of pathetic dilapidatiOn, over
looking from its surrounding veran-
dab, green marsh meadows, given
over to the herons aud the snipe,
and the windy Gulf of Mexico,
with Its warm current AMI its
dreamy islands. 1t Was wholly de-
serted, though ii family OF negroes
had been occupy ing one room re.
Gently. We tranped noiSily through
its ample halls aud up its wide
stairwayS into the outlook tower
Oh the point Of the roof, | fancied |
could almost see from this high
perch TO the Florida reefs and to
The yet more distant Windward
Islands.
In the woods behind the town are
scattered little homes, surrounded
by scupperhong vineyards and
orange giuveS, where one mag get
ii pint OF yellow, fragrant wine for
fifty cents aud il dozen oranges for
a qnarter.dollar. Mockiug birds
were 10 be seen everywhere but it
was not the sOug season aud they
were quite silent, save that now and
then one would utter thin, harsh
/" chack," as if whetting it's voice
on file. 1t was hard to anticipate,
though | had heard it so often, the
wild storm of music with which
these birds would shake the trees
two or three months in the future.
The houses of the country people
are mostly mere cots or cabins, em-
powered in vines and Ornamented
with rude porches or ''StOOps.p
One meets French-speaking people
everywhere, in town aud country,
but they speak English as well,
aud it is not always easy to dislin
gnIsh the Creole. | talked much
with the negroes, finding them a
rather detected set, given 10 whis-
key aud religion strange mix
ture surely. The climate is so mild,
IA living so easy 20 get, aud whisky
so handy, that it is hard TO keep
these children of passion and OF
sensuous delights out of the grip
Of intemperance. On the other
hand, religion, of the sentimental,
impulsive sort, is the negrO's ele-
ment everywhere. There is a great
field for missionary work, | should
SAY, in all the low country ; for, If
there is anything that the average
negro Ieveres, It is the man who
breaches to him. | asked tue old
men about their memory OF slave
DAYS. Some of them smiled, as if
those days were good to think OF,
and others shook their heads and
mutUered. One stalwart, grizzly
beaded msu, told me abont his old
master who used to take him aud
forty or ifty others down to the
islands to gather wax-myrtle ber-
ries to make wax for candles.
ssDe ole boss, be war de bes' man
IN de world. Good to all ob as,
Iawsy chile, when We use'er 60 on
lie ISLAM, we hab jes'er hushel 90
lun.1 he sand, grinuing IN retro
specfive way. ave pick de wax
berry alf We c0tch dc fish au' we
dance pooly nigh al night long"
These myrtle berries used to be
unite valuable. The candles made
ifom their peculiarly fragrant wax
we've extensively used By the Cath
oliu Church.
Bay 81. Louis is about fifty miles
east of New Orleans, and Is a sum-
mer resort Of many wealthy fami-
lies ot that city. 1t has had an
orrasioual visitation OF yellow
fever. but there Is no local cause Of
1|sease, the air being very pure
and braeing, aud the water excel
|enf. The soil Of the adjacent
eonutry is THU aud sandy, 10 for
nothing bat fruit growing and, b.
vegetable gardening.
R.li. Of marl and snamn mnlL aLe