The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-02-15

any one who has seen dark, dank spots In ma
ture and has watched the almost motioniess move
uefit--it such an expression may be used---of an
aHigator IN Its native habitat
ana here is an exquisite gem, biz Of word
painting that must perforce bring before the
minas eye many another such perfect day:
Shines in nd-heaven the summer sun.
Green the gay robes which the woods have won,
And lar aloft' DER the snowy fleece
OF clouds that brood in the realm Of peace.
spreads the great arch, with deepening blue,
hat meetly, with beauty, still bounds the view,
ne swallow fits, with a Joyous cry
FROM the Swallowed caves to the open sky
And the vulture stoops, in his eager spring,
Meath the sudden flash OF his arrowy wing,
% freed is the earth from her winter trance.
And the young summer hath her inheritance
he surly monarch Of storm no more
Darkens the realm he ruled before
His seepter, where late be smots the wood,
Lord of the somber solitude
Broken, away in his feer he flies
To the kindred glooms Of his northern skies
AND chrp and song now cheer the hours,
And the very grave wears robe Of flowers.
She comes, the summer, so blessing, and earth
Bounds, with wing to better birth
She breathes DER the plain, and thousand eyes
Open at once in world OF dyes;
| Blue and purple the buds unfold
/ Happy and bright in their green and gold
Daisies that speak for the virgin heart
! Lowry but sweet by the path upstart
| And pinbs, that promise for hopes Of youth
/ Blossom with others that speak for truth
/ 20, joyous freedom from hostile thrall
/ That brings the blessing and bloom to all
That on rock and valley height and plain,
Bestows the sun and the smile again
That only breathes upon winters brow;
And breaks his fpttrrq aud wolfe Lte
1 That smiles upon autumn's wthered bower,
And straightway Il gories in fruit and flower
/ And but whispers the sons of men, and they seem
Like children blessed with joyous dream.
co. the glad summer, how bright her eye
How sweet her breath and how soft her sky,
How wondrous her magic power to bless
With the bloom Of the garden il. the wilder
ness
To crown the wild thorn with the golden flower
To battle the sad earth with the genial shower
To foster the strength in the breast Of toll
And hallow with bounty the niggard soil,
Glad the broad fields with the sunripe grain,
Till we dream of the age OF geld again"
And as he loved her scenery, so did he uphold
n the historic fame Of the South A group Of
seven Of his novels The Partisan" "Mell
champe," Katherine Walton" Scout" For
ayers "Eutaw" and "Woodcraft' carry tn,
reader through the entire revolutionary period
1t has been said that one having genuine anc
deep interest in the early history Of the nation
can not afford to neglect any Of the series an,
that these works will have m increasing his
torical value In "Mellichampe" the events arr
historic and the characters true TO nature
the names being but slightly changed o
katherine Walton" which appeared in 1850
the year after Simms took charge OF the South
ern Quarterly Review, Paul Hamilton Hayn
"Tbie &c the C1it frre rirtytrs Of Charlie
stou during the time in which the city hell
by the British and reads more like history thai
fiction"
While in the North Su1ms formed persona
attachment for William Cullen Bryant and man,
others OF like caliber but the home feeling wa
strong and he returned to the delightful at
mosphere OF his own Southland to make friend
Of those he had offended, but who afterwar
came to know him we'll enough TO realize III
greatness Of his great heart and intellect. Fo
scy eral terms he was an honored member of tn
legislature and lost the lieutenant governorshi
, by one vote only.
His svmpathies went out to the struggling one
and many a young author-Hayne and Timro
among them--received substantial encourage
ment and aid from him, for he was not idl
dreamer, this happy, energetic 1t is ir
teresting 10 know how he looked at the age
forty when first by Hayne. a youth o
seventeen. Simms was on the rostrum to max
. an address on the Mexican and came foi
ward with q slow, stately step man in III
prime of life, tall, vigorous and symmetrical
i formed His head was noble one, with cor
4 spicuously high forehead, finely developed in th
T. regions of ideaity and set upon broad shoulder
in naughty leonne grace. Under strangely me
lille eyebrows flashed a pair of blush-gray eye
! keen and bright as steel. His mouth slight
J. prominent, especially in the upper lip, was
y wonderfully firm one, only less determined in fa'
, +bar the massive law and chin which might hav
n been moulded out of iron. An impressive pei
/ sonality, likely TO catch and hold ones observ;
$ ton anywhere, he rapidly glanced about him fc
r an instant and then began his speech with bol'
. startling paradox. which sharply arrested ever!
e body's attention and held it TO the end"
i 4 Y
For few wears his life seemed to promise
e flow on smoothly 20 serene old age In 1873
d the wear 'Melichampe" appeared he Marie
y Mise Cheyilette Roach, only child OF a wealth
d n1auter and took up his residence at their FIR
S, old home Woodlands" at Midway betwet
d Charleston and Augusta, and which he afte
wards bought 10 :,
e host in the delights to be found IN a library
J. - ono volumes The old time Southern no
n ,itsI;tv dispensed with lavish hand, charmed II
II ,est from the bleak land of the Pilgrim Father
S, 81 a. DELIGHTFULLY."- readable sketch of the plac
ID ,-i.+., Z, tss, for Putnams Magazine, he note
g a,,,one other things that the house was bui
it without that attention to what south Caroh
ian would call the unwholesome exclusion OF u
t outer air. which is thought necessary IN the
is colder latitudes L.. ,... ,or,D1.
to ,b;s noint-when life seemed TO hold on
su frp;tion OF our authors early aspirahoi
I'D homes Since that can not be shall nast'
- .br,,,gb the remaining time. Several en-