St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-07-05


i The stanens, ten in number, curve out
ward, each white, glistening thread resting
it's crimson snther in cented fold or
pocket: later they release themselves and
stand erect about the pistil. The buds
have q perfect, finished look, are lovely
| In form and quaint in conception. Taken
as whole, form, color, leaf, bud and BIOS
som. thew can scarcely be rivaled Re-
| crossing the stream and passing beyond a
| nile of moss grown rocks over which a
| tanpled mass of vines and blackberry
bushes are struggling, we find some BUSH
| es covered with blossoms. bending over
the waters as if enamored of their own re-
| Election. A decaying log will give US foot
hold and we break some branches and ex-
anime them at our leisure. The bloom is
pink or rose and is exceedingly beautiful.
| The throat is deep rose color, while the
petals are shaded to the pslest tint. A
large cluster of pink stamens, more than
two inches in length drop from the open
flower, giving it feathery appearance,
more particularly SO when they are massed
1t is the azalia, or swamp pink. There
are several varieties, some are white with
the faintest touch of rose another is q
soft, buff shade, while the most plentiful
are the pink or parti-colored pink and
white variety.
Here and there among the towering
pines, stand erect and solitary, like sent1-
nels, shrubs two or three feet hig b they
are surmounted by plume of bright Grim
son flowers. 1t is famlliarly known as
| buckeye, doubtless so named from the
| full, round nut it bears. 1t too bears
| tubular bloom and from ont the slender
throats emerge four narrow petals, two
being longer and folded one upon the 9TH
| or like the wings of an insect, and over
them is dust of gold, shading them to
| the richest orange. It's leaves are a
| vivid or metallic green, about six inches in
length by three in width and they are still
greater size when the shrub reaches ma
turity; the leaves are of dropping habit,
| adding materially to their soldier-like ap-
| pearance.
The ferns are now waking from their
| winters sleep and smiling brightly up at
us from their moss-grown couches. we
have counted fourteen distinct varieties
| within the radius of half mile.
From the hill side, spring of crystal
water trickles into natural stony basin,
and then, OVERLOOKING, finds it's way in
many channels to the creek below. Here
the ferns flourish, and shaking out their
curly fronds they bid defiance to wind and
rain in this sheltered nook and will soon
form fernery prince might envy.
| The trillium. or wake robin, too, finds
home on our hills. The leaves of one
variety are beautifully veined and notified
which compensates for the dull red color
of the blossom. Those we have thus fal
found were of dark color. Possibly moi
far away in some secluded place the white
variety may be lifting their lily like bios
SONS to the sun, and waiting for those
who love their simple beauty.
The long-leaved pine abounds upon oul
slopes and young, vigorous trees, OF all
sizes are springing up about the parent
tree. They, too, have felt the breath Of
spring and have put a gala touch to theil
shining robes.
From out the dark green tassels peel
bright young buds ambitious to help il
the upward stretch, and very amusing i
is to see the tender, callow shoots when
freed from the bands SO closely folded
about them in the bud, turn and stant
stiffiy erect, SO conscious of their own inn.
portance. At little distance, their like
ness to q Christmas tree covered will
waxen tapers, is very striking.
Occasionally mighty patriarch is seer
among the pines, though most of them ar
q second generation, and can hardly hop
to attain the noble proportions of thei
aged ancestors for the wood-mau's Ak
has been opening up home for the hus
bandman, while the devouring saw ha
laid bare the heart of many sturdy tre
to fashion him domicile.
The flower best beloved by us, our favo
rite among the wild wood blossoms, is tn
Snow-drop. We will find it on yonde
tall slender shrub. It is known as tn
soow drop tree, for often it Is of consider
able height We may not be able to reacl
the blossom nor will we attempt it. TIL
snow drops have for us some subtle attrac
ton, why, we cannot define, but it seem
almost sacrilegious to disturb their repose
From the slender branches droor bells o
the purest white, their petals overlap on
another and will fall from the stem befor
separating, thus remaining half closed
just revealing the white downy stamen
within. They, too bear the same clos
relationship as do the petals, broadest q
the base and tapering upward, at the ape
they curve outward, broadened by tn
buff anther bent like horseshoe over tn
top of each, thus forming perfect vase
These flowers impress us as modest, shy
| mySJlC&l &uU tu6 p0Tt0CtlOA VI pu4hys
There is something passing strange j
these evanescent fancies which fit throug
the brain; light and feeting as they are
their impression cannot be effaced. Their
seems some unex planned affinity, or posi-
bly, some need within US which the flow
|, ers have power to supply or alleviate, an
, by arousing the mind to consciousness {
it, stimulate our energies, thus becomin
a friend and monitor.
/ Coming upon an open damp spot v
find the browning glory of April. tt
, imperial Easter lilies. They grow in tt
greatest profusion, the leaves being lib
, those of the Amaayllis, to which famil
. they belong; the flowers are small, beau
/ tifully formed; the pure white lily Is to I
.sthe lily of the valley" Nothing coul
, be more suggestive Of purity, and ths
form one of our finest church decoration
J a cross constructed of them with q dal
+ green setting is one Of the most perfe
: objects imaginable.
{ Out upon the open glade, little apa
J from its fellows, stands holly. This
a regal shrub, or tree, rather. for it h
. arrived at that dignity. 1t is not at Q
surprising that it is such universal favo
t ite. The dark rich foliage is at this seast
Q supplemented by leaves Of tender green,
' decoration put on for the ''spring ops
D ing" Most of the scarlet berries ha'
i disappeared. but occasionally tree mo
4 tenacious of it's brilliant ornaments ST
$ retains them. though put on long ago +
Q the Christmas festivities.
Q The honeysuckle is seen all about In Il
1 tangled thicket, and is far prettier the
Il than in open ground, for it's beauty Il
g almost wholly in its slender, crimso