The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-16

portion of the company enjoy quad
rifle or, pcrchancc, one Of those new
tangled dances with names yard long.
The music is furnished by four or five
colored walters and the boats barber,
who also acts us leader and prompter
and plays first violin with an energy
equalcd only by the silvcr-haircd darby
who saws the bass VOL. The music can
not be called classical; in fact it is cal
culatcd to drive n man with an ear for
harmony to distraction, but it fulfills
its mission and that is all the dancers
care for. Promptly at midnight the
tonsorial orchestra leader fiddlcs his
last notes and the gay company retires
to meet again at the breakfast table.
Late riscrs have no business to en-
gage passage for a river trip. Break
fast is served promptly ut seven, and
the sleepyhcad who loves to linger In
dreamland till eight or nine o'clock
need not expect morning meal. Those
who rise at six, however, are amply re
paid for the extra effort, rs no pen can
adequately describe the unrivaled
charm of early morning on the river.
Rejuvennted nature gathers her per-
the senses of the yawning traveller.
THAT tired feeling" vanishcs as if by
magic under the influence of the
hcalth-giving atmosphere. Tho eye is
fed with scenes of rural tranquility.
Tho bluffs on either side of the
majestic stream are bathcd in a flood
of light and the white farmhouscs lool,
brighter than many n gilded city dome.
Everybody who has poetry in his
soul gives vent to some time-worn
quotation, and the young ladies arc in
clined to venture an original verso.
The young men dutifully commend
their efforts, and forthwith begin
flirtations which frequently end in we'd
dings.
''Lovo and the river go together"
said IN old river captain to the writer;
land to prove my assertion I'll tell you
in confidence that last winter I re-
ccivcd invitations TO twcnty-odd we'd
dings between boys and girls who were
my passengers the season before and
who had never known of each others
existence until they met on board this
boat"
Conclusive evidence, isn't it, that
Cupid must have a particular affection
for the water, although it is generally
believed that the sly little god OF love
prefers terra frma for his mischicvous
operations.
And while enjoying all these social
pleasures, the tourist can constantly
view scenes, of which prominent tour
list once wrote: THE scenery of the up
per Mississippi has its own peculiar
greatness On the lower river it is In
tercsting and novel; here it is impress
sivc and sublime. We have variety,
richness of foliage, almost numberless
islands clad in the very grcenest of
green, sweeping curves Of the channel
and wide cXpanses of river that seem
land-lockcd in the distance by cncroach-
ing bluffs. All the elements of sublim-
ity are realized in constantly varying
INSTRUMENTATION, magnitude, sweep
of distance, boldncss of outline. tho
mysterious juXtaposition of land, water
and sky"
Add to the river trip the wonderfully
charming works of nature with which
Providence has blessed the twin cities
of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and you
have an outing which Is simply unriv-
alcd and which, if once taken, you will
never forgot. The Mississippi river
with its grand bluffs; st. Paul and it's
crystal lakes; Minneapolis and it's lakes
Harriet and Calhoun; Minnehaha Falls
and far-famcd acknowledgements
on which the mind can feast for many
weary months. and which lend to the
dreary routine of business life q never
tn-bc-cffaccd coloring OF romance.
G.. W. WEIPpIEIT.