Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-10-20

ear save possibly the chirp of a crickc
or harsh note of a grasshopper; PEI
haps once in a long while a frightene
~Jack-rabbit might bound away or
flock of prairie chickens go of with
whirr; then again you might find
convenient seat on the great broa
r whltened skull OF a buffalo, whic
are found all over the prairie; an
listen for an hour and hear n
sound, lest happily you were of tina
gentle nature which could catch tn
shadowy strains of that low sweet mu
sic which sometimes family ONE il
the solitudes of the great plains
spirit of some lost, wandering melody
coming over the golden rod and pur
pie prairie balm from nobody know
where-like the ringing Of far-oi
church bells, or dying strains of som
invisible orchestra far away in tn,
hazy vault above you.
The sun arose in the morning twice
its natural size, as seen through tn,
hay atmosphere, sometimes red
sometimes like gold. Only in the
middle Of the day for a few hours did
1t shine with any thing like its accus-
TONED mid-cOntinent ~clearness. As il
sank toward the west again it grew
red and large, like the full moon; il
dld not hurt your eyes to look at it,
and 1t grew still larger and a more
rich blood-red as it sank to the far
away horizon. Sometimes there might
be a small bank of clouds a little above
the horizon, or perhaps a long, narrow
cloud, which would lilo like a bar
across the suns face for q moment.
AS 1t sank lower it seemed more and
more like Il great, plying eye looking
down at us, and as its broad blood-red
disk just touched what looked like the
western edge of the world it seemed to
pause for a moment as if to take one
last look. And a fair land it was TO
look at, though lonely and half out of
the world. Down by the river, which
wanders Il %serpentine course, but
a little depressed below the sur
face OF the prairie, grew acres of
wild ~suntlowers, higher than a mans
head, making great fields of gold,
which, when the wind came, rose
and fell in golden pillows, They
seemed to grow everywhere, but rank
er near the river, whore they made a
landscape in yellow. Occasional ilocks
OF garrulous b~lackbirds perched in
their stout branches and rose and fell
with them, and held spirited discus
slons concerning their approaching
Southern trip. Other birds were few.
Sometimes a hawk Mapped his way in
great circles so far up as to seem little
but a speck against the light blue sky.
Besides the sunflowers there was a
~golden-rod. growing almost every
where, half a dozen varieties, and 9th
er yellow flowers, many of them not
very distant relatives, and enough
puppies to lend variety; the purple
balm and a great many of them grow
ing in stiff purple spikes and with a
deep, cup-like purple flower nestled
down among the dry grass, which is
nameless. And over all, day after day,
there was that. dreamy, shadowy,
Sleepy Hollow touch Of Indian ummer
on the still, peaceful, b~ewildering, roll
ing prairie.
lhose VINO came up to quarantine
told strange-sometimes horrible
stories of the plague without. OF
strong men who die alone, perhaps in
houses far off Of the road, and where
1T is not supposed there is anybody.
and therefore are not gone to by n
one till it is too late; of others who
start to leave the country and are
stricken down and die alone on the
open prairie, or perhaps in a wagon
where they have camped, and their
horses wander away. searching for
water, and only n faithful dog STAYS on
watch by his dead master. Again, of
n man with but one attendant. who. in
his delirium, breaks away and rushes
"A bank to his death. Or of whole
families stricken down, some dead,
others near to death.
The worst reports came from dozen
miles to the southeast, where, among
n little range of coteaux, lived a set
of Firms, Their houses were
the most part half or wholly under
ground, damp and unvcntilated, and
hey seemed to have no idea of either
preventing the spread of the disease
taking any rational steps toward
Us cure after stricken down. There
an old man who lived to the west
town with his daughter, a girl some
fifteen or sixteen years of age. He
among those who were sick and
recovered. saw him at quarantine
ust afterward, while he was still weak
md with his face deeply and freshly
by the disease. "Why sir"
lie said, "the way that girl O mine
lu'ssed me was a caution. I'd IA died
[ it hadn't a been for her, sure. She
vas a sight better'n the doctor. She
int a-goin' to have it-she's been
acernated-no danger bout her I,
Iavin' it-not a particle. She's all
ight-just a little tired nu'ssing me, !
ALL" The old man repeated n {
times that there was no danger l
bout her-he was doing it to try to
eep up his courage, Then he went
ack across the bridge and disappeared
own a cross path among the sunflow- :
RS. His last words were: II had il '
retty bad, but she amt goin'. TO-" =
he next day he came walking hur- !.
across the bridge. His face was :.
'hite and his voice choked as he asked !,
medicines. She was sick with il. !
fter all. I
The October days slipped away and :,
I'LL new cases were reported. The J.
anne droary weather prevailed. :,
'ossamcr iloated on the faint breath of '
south wind and chung to every thing. .
he leaves on the few cottonwood !.