The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-09
TAKING THE VEIL.
A Sad Story With a Pathetic
Ending.

just there the turbid river assume
even more than its wonted angry APP
pearance and in great eddies, miniature
whirlpools and seething currents seen
to be undergoing some terrible convul
sion of pain at being confined between
the barriers of the levees. Immediate
ly above and below this sweeping benz
1t moved along with something likt
majesty in its smooth, broad surface
and creates an impression of its Titanic
power perhaps far greater than where
it bubbles and boils, twists and turns in
discontinue at being forced to change
its straight onward rush to the sea to
conform to the idiosyncrasies of the ir.
regular banks. Here and there the
branches of partially submerged will
(. lows were swaying to and fro moved by
the impetuOus current, and RATS OF
driftwOod, gathered by the eddy from
the great masses floating down, kept
up their revolution some twenty wards
from the bank. Every little while por-
tons of this confused aggregation of
trees, branches, twigs, fence rails and
other foatsam, always seen in high
water on the Mississippi river, would be
caught by the main current and 90
sweeping down as if glad to part COM
pany with the Heterogeneous mass it had
just left. Deadman's Eddy was known
IN those days by all the steamboat
men, andfew of them cared to put the
noses of their boats into it on dark
night, for it had reputation that was
anything but inviting. Numbers of
boats had there had their wheels disa-
bled by the accumulated drift, and one
or two had been snagged within the
boundaries of this Ominously-named
portion of the river.
Opposite Deadman's Eddy, embow-
cred in a grove of stately live oaks,
stood the large plantation house of the
Cavellier family. roomy, comfortable
building belonging to that Creole style
of architecture that probably affords
more shade and ventilation to the
square foot than any other known to
Southern climates.
1t stood about two hundred wards
hack from the levee. and the interven-
Ing space was laid out in parterres of
roses and palms, camelias and sweet
olives. If the eve was delighted by rare
combinations of color, and the nostrils
gratified by the heavily-laden atmos-
phere of perfume, the ear was not less
SO by sparkle and glitter of bird notes
that came thick as rain-drops from tree
top and thicket. The hooking bird was
there with his orchestral throat, and
from linnet to bullfinch, thrush to night
ingale, in it all were represented. Bor-
dering the broad avenue leading up to
the house two rows of orange trees
stared at the visitor with their millions
of jewel-white eyes, for spring had just
awakened them, and their buds still
drowsy. with the winters sleep, had
been but short time open.
There rested about the place such an
air of perfect peace and restfulness, the
house with its broad galleries and great
steps in front leading down to the grass
grown avenue might we'll have been
taken as the retreat of some wOrld-tired
person who had come thither to live
alone with the trees and the birds. A
nearer approach. however. would dissi-
pate any such illusions, for invariably of
mornings and afternoons promenading
in the broad veranda lady, dressed in
white, could be seen. In fact these two
figures were as regular in their daily
walks up and down this gallery, as
were the birds in their daily concerts in
the trees just outside. Deadman's
Eddy, that could be seen from the gal |
lery through the opening in the leafv
avenue, certainly kept its funereal influ-
cnce within its circling limits, for no.
where along the river was there a |
happier household than that gathered |
nightly beneath the great sloping roof
of the Cavellier plantation house. Even |
the negroes. catching the infection
from their masters and mistresses. |
were regarded all along the |
coast as the jolliest, most con-
tented lot that ever handled |
cane-knives or tended sugar kettles.
Travellers along the dusty road that ran
beside the river Just inside the levee al
ways knew when they had arrived at
the Cavellier place by the snatches of
old. Creole melodies sung afield with
that sweet tinbre of voice, belonging
peculiarly to the African and his de-
ecendants in Louisiana Although en-
tirely different, the view from the. rear
gallery of this old residence was hardly
less inviting than from the front.
Stretching away toward the cypress
swamps behind, the fields of sugar cane
lay like squares of emerald velvet. the
young stalks with their fresh green
leaves giving to the level landscape
softening effect that was most refresh
ing to the sight. The plantation roads
and ''turn-rows'' divide the fields into
smaller sections, adding something like
patchwork design to the thousands of
acres under cultivation. In the somber
gray of the dropping Spanish moss the
distant expresses gave but an irregu-
larly defined outline to the edges of the
low marsh with its canebrakes and pal
metto clumps. Midway between the
swamp and the house stands the impos-
ing sugar-house with majestic brick
chimneys and surrounding negro quar-
tiers.
1t was on this estate that the Cavel-
Her family for four generations had
lived happy though comparatively une-
ventful lives. The planting season, the
time for caring for the growing cane,
staying by" and then the brisk period
of grinding, had followed one another
Tor eighty years. with varying results as
to crops. but none as to peaceful con- !,