The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-06-03
THE WAKULLA SPRING.
ONE OF FTORID1'S LOVELIEST
SPOTS IN SUN AND SHADE.

THE CRYSTAL DEPTHS AND ovERARCHING
BLUE-FEATHERs AND FINS IN SIMILAR
SHINING SHEETS OF sH1MMER1Ne SHEEN
BY MELLOW MooNL1GHT's MISTY GLOW
A GLIMPSE OF PHANTOM FANcY's
FARMLAND.
Visitors to Tallahassee who have not
seen Wakulla Spring have lost out of the
book of life one of its finest pictures
Whether painted by the glowing touch of
the glarish midday sun, by the modest
fingers OF the morn, evenings tender light
or the sympathetic brush of the gentle
moon, it affords to the weary eye one of
those things of beauty which linger longest
in the memory and becomes a joy forever
Out OF the rough wear and tear of daily life
we enter new world, where to breathe is
luxury, where motion is deprived of eff
fort or noise, where the tired eye is re.
freshed by thousand shades of living
green and where earthly appetites, worldly
ambitions and carking cares shrink abashed
from that purity of nature which is the
nearest approach in these days to the d.
vine "retro sathanus" of this worlds pris-
tine prime
The visitor stands on slight elevation
under lordly magnolias and the great ba-
sin spreads before him. From it there is
no visible outlet and it is guarded on all
sides by the dense forest. In the glow
ing monday sun it lies so calmly clear
that leaf and trunk and flying bird are
all faithfully reflected from the silvery sur
face of this natural mirror.
The boat should have ''mast Of cedar
and sail of silk" but this is no time for
carping criticism. Once afloat all is for
the view. Far below wave the fragile
ferns, fishes dart in and out like birds in
| thickets of Towering shrubs, and the re-
| picture. Gaze downward for five minutes
and the Gimp of the Perverse" exacts
| the penalty that follows the earthward
plunge of the sight from high tower.
For we appear to be floating in mid-air,
and the body has the same inclination to
follow the giddy gaze. At the depth of
eighty feet the smallest shell is plainly
visible and the bird overhead is not more
distinctly seen in outline, and feather and
color, than is every scale, each graceful
curve and the waving fin Of
the fish below. On either side
the primeval forest closes in the prospect
and the green wall is starred by the great
creamy blooms of the magnolia, the seal let
buds o: the maple and the soft white OF the
dogwood blossom. Mingled odors float out
on the air and natures chOristers drOwsily
awake from their slesta Of the hour to MUIR
muir an assurance that they are still in the
land Of the living.
But last night the whole became an EN-
bodied dream from the fairyland of fancy
and fable into which only the eye OF genius
has ever pierced. Diana herself shifted
the scenes and raised the
curtain with all the art and sudden
change which is usually confined to the
stage. Thomas the Rhymer might have
stepped appropriately in view to intro
duce King Arthur with the odors of the
Vale of Avillion yet lingering in his
plumes, the Ugly Duckling might have
padded about without exciting surprise,
or Beauty might have caressed her Beast
without suspicion of indelicacy. And
that lost love dear to all the living,
walked visible to the minds eye; she of
whom we know that,
"Whenever the south wind signs,
She paints the jeweled print Of your feet,
In violets blue as your eyes,
In the dusky hollOws in which we meet,
And the valleys OF paradise.
One moment the moon was sailing in
glorious light above-the trees showed
every detail of contour and the glossy leaves
flashed. the water shOne with the bright
ness OF FURNISHED silver and
"Stars in sleeping seas laughed back,
To stars in liquid SKIES"
forest became black wall of immeasure-
able height from which only the mingled
order of summer flowers still told of the
beauty hidden within-the waters frOwned
in sympathy and darkness shrouded the
material world as the night of death may
shroud the soul in sorrow.
But not for long. Again the heavens
were filled with light. There was fiutter
of light wings in magnolia on the bank
and hooking bird flew to the topmost
twig and began to chant his wildly beautl-
full midnight mass. He poured out his
soul in a wild chant that seemed to burst
his throat, his eyes were uplifted like one
inspired, his wings dropped and his whole
little body quivered like highly strung
instrument Then the ecstacy became too
great-seemugly without volition he was
lifted up and hung trembling in the air till
with sobbing rain of shaking notes he
dashed down again and hid himself in the
foliage.
! "Who of mortal masters ever
Wrought such things?
Made golden song and gave 1t
Flashing WINGS
After this outburst every sound was
still while preparations were made TOR
departure. But as we moved OF the
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