The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-10-26

ear save possibly the chirp of a cricket
or harsh note of a grasshopper; per
haps once in a long while a frightened
jack-rabbit might bound away or a
flock of prairie chickens go off with a
whirr; then again you might find
convenient seat on the great broad
whitened skull of a buffalo, which
are found all over the prairie; and
listen for an hour and hear no
sound, lest happily you were Of that
gentle nature which could catch the
shadOwy strains of that low sweet mu-
sic which sometimes family comes in
the sOlitudes of the great plains--a
spirit of some lost, wandering melody,
coming over the golden rod and pur-
pie prairie balm from nobody knows
where-Eke the ringing of far-off
church bells, or dying strains of some
invisible orchestra far away in the
hazy vault above you.
The sun arose in the morning twice
its natural size, as seen through the
hay atmosphere, sometimes red,
sometimes like gold. Only in the
middle Of the day for few hours did
it shine with any thing like its accus-
toned mid-cOntinent clearness. As it
sank toward the west again it grew
red and large, like the full moon; it
did not hurt your. eyes to look at it,
and it grew still larger and a more
rich blOOd-red as it sank to the far
away horizon. Sometimes there might
be small bank of clouds little above
the horizon, or perhaps a long, narrow
cloud, which would lie like a bar
across the suns face for a moment.
As it sank lower it seemed more and
more like a 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 a serpentine course, but
a little depressed below the sur
/ face of the prairie, grew acres of
wild sunfowers, 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
err near the river, where they made a
| landscape in yellow. Occasional focks
of garrulous blackbirds perched in
! their stout branches and rose and fell
with them, and held spirited discus
siOns concerning their approaching
| Southern trip. Other birds were few.
! Sometimes a hawk tapped his way in
| great circles so far up as to seem little
! but a speck against the light blue sky.
| Besides the sunfowers there was a
! gO4den-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 summer
on the still, peaceful, bewildering, roll
ing prairie.
Those who came up to quarantine
told strange-sOmetimes horrible
stories of the plague without. Oh
strong men who die alone, perhaps in
houses far off of the road, and where
/ it is not supposed there is anybody,
and therefore are not gone to by any
| 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 fOl
water, and only a faithful dog stays OF
watch by his dead master. Again, o
a man with but one attendant, who, il
his delirium, breaks away and rushe'
over bank to his death. Or Of whole
families stricken down, some dead
| others near to death.
The worst reports came from a dozel
miles to the southeast, where, among
a little range of coteaux, lived a set
Element of Firms. Their houses were
for the most part half or wholly unde
ground, damp and unventilated, ant
they seemed to have no idea Of eithe
preventing the spread of the diseas,
or taking any rational steps toward
l H.
was sn old man who lived to the ives
of town with his daughter, a girl som,
fifteen or sixteen years of age. III,
was among those who were sick ant
recovered. l saw him at quarantin,
Just afterward, while he was still veal
and with his face deeply and freshl!
marked by the disease. ''Why, sir,
he said, 1.-The way that girl O. min,
nu'ssed me was a caution. I'd "a dieI
if it hadn't been for her, sure. Sh,
was a sight better'n the doctor. Sh,
amt a-goin' to have it-she's beer
vacernated-no danger bout he
havin' it-not a particle. She's al
right-just a little tired u'ssing me
thet's all" The old man repeated
dozen times that there was no DANCE
about her-he was doing it to try t.
keep up his courage, Then he wen
back across the bridge and disappears
down a cross path among the sunflow
ers. His last words were: Il had
pretty bad, but she amt gOin' to.
The next day he came walking huT
riedly across the bridge. His face wa
white and his voice chOked as he aske
for medicines. She was sick with il
after all.
The October days slipped away ant
still new cases were reported. Tn
same dreary weather prevailed
Gossamer foated on the faint breath G
, a south wind and chung to every thing
The leaves on the few COTTONWOOD
trees in town barely stirred. High u
in the air an occasional flock of vii
geese in long triangular form WINGS
its way with dismal cries toward tn
South. The town seemed more de
+ serted than ever. What people her