The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-01


could imagine himself drinking at a
Saratoga or white sulphur spring. The
water effer vesces as it fills the cup, and
cloud floats off leaving it clear as crys-
tai.
The pitcher plants were of many va
rieties, some large enough to hold half
pint of water, and others not much larg-
er than thimble. These and few
other specimens were the only ones in
flower.
Maramee.
The rain had laid the dust. and the
clouds tempered the sunshine to our
needs, as we left Browns Croft for Mar
aimee about noon. The birds lifted up
their melodious voices after the shower.
concert OF praise and delight in life or
was it solely for the edifcation of their
damp little mates sitting, incubating on
future broods. Birds are generally good
husbands, sharing the burdens of mater
nifty, and choosing their companions in a
way that might be lesson to humanity
If one had but eyes to see and read the
object lesson.
Maramee is famous suburban resort
200 feet above the Mississippi river, and
is named for the little river whose shall.
low waters flow at the foot of the hills
on which it stands.
1t is charming road that winds it's
way in and out and round from the hill
top to the valley and the other hills
about give wild and picturesque aspect
to the scenery. Down their steeply
wooded slopes, stairs and paths take
shortcuts" in various directions.
Around the hotel the landscape gar.
dener has done his best with good re-
suits, many bed of flowers gemming
the terraces and lawns with beauty spots.
There are pavilions and other convent
ences for public amusement and corral
OF the scrubbiest lot of little mules
some saddled for visitors to ride up or
down hill ever saw. They looked as
though they had never heard of curry
comb.
The wide piazzas of the hotel were
Tiled with guests and bits of family life
were disclosed from cottage windows, or
took its ease in swinging hammocks.
Happy is the city with such resort to
ny to at the close of day-a la electric
car!
Having finished this place we cut
across the electric track at the
risk OF our lives, just escaping a car
coming round the curve, which we
neither saw nor heard until it was
almost upon US. The way "Billy" was
"yanked up" short, into fence corner
by the road side seemed to astonish that
beast. We were glad to have escaped
by an inch, but if we have gray hairs on
our return home, they will be accounted
for by that "scare."
Recovering breath the one who drove
gave Billy an admonitory flick with the
| whip which he mistook for horse fly.
and gently wrinkled his skin as if to
shake it off, while we proceeded on to
| Kirkwood, one Of the prettiest of all the
suburban towns have yet seen. 1t had
the quiet air of a country town between
court seasons. Woodbine sweet, and
Virginia creepers climbed over the fences
where there were any, and nodded and
bobbed at us as if to say "My dears, /
recognize you as old acquaintance"
when one of us waded out and captured
an irresistible garland of the woodbine.
Such deep shade sheltered such pretty
country homes: roomy, Deep and wide,
surrounded by many piazzas; such we'll
kept level lawns before these houses;
such elegance, repose and privacy lin
| gered around them, without the exclu-
sive hedges and brickwalls which are so
English, and hence beginning to speak
for themselves in New England towns.
How glad we we're the taste had not
penetrated to Kirkwood or the West
generally.
There is an end of all things and
the happy day came to a close and
our phaeton journey with it, Twenty
miles and we have taken pretty much
] all day for it; and eaten our lunch from
paper bag as we went, having time
to stop for only occasional watering of
the horse, and resting OF old Billy's
bones by the roadside.
Whatever the women of the. past
regime, the new women can discuss
books. events and incidents. even forget
ting for day the gossip of the world in
which she moves; this newer woman of
which we two are compound of the
past and present. enjoyed ourselves as
much as we once did the buggyride with
our "beaux,"-for all that is in the past
tense in our lives. This ride through
the meadows of fair Missouri we will
mark with red letter. This companion
for day has beautiful mission in the
city of st. Louis, and if the Editor so
wills. that shall be the theme of my last
letter from this vicinity.
ST. LOUIS, Mo.