The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-02-12
CHAINS Of the Lower
Rio Grande Valley


all may feel yet none can well define.
The majestic flow of the river as it
winds like a great serpent in its
course to the sea; the blue skies; the
never-ceasing song of the birds; the
flowers blooming at all seasons of the
year; the matchless groves of lofty
paIms-all combine to fill the heart
with rapture and inspire poetry and
song Many a youth, on his first
visit to this beautiful valley,
has experienced for the first time
that feeling which inspires to song,
and the Valley of the Lower Rio
Grande has been the theme of more
than one poem, written by some ar
dent youth who has caught inspira-
ton from the flowers, the song of
the birds, the tall palmettos waving
in the breeze, the bending skies, the
delightful climate and the great river
winding lazily along. From among
these many inspiration" We will
select a few at random, written by
one of those ardent youths to the
lady of his love-" and who, perhaps,
felt the poetic glow for the first time
when the found himself in this en-
chanted land The first is from a
letter written to a young lady whom
we will call Stella" because that is
not her name, and is as follows:
fhe moon is shining brightly
On the winding Rio Grande
The dews are falling lightly
On this smiling Southern land;
The laughing stars are playing
In sky of azure gray,
While happy thoughts go straying
to Stella" far away"
Another verse, evidently written
to a young lady who resides in Mexi-
co. is like the first in that it was in
spired by a visit to the Valley of the
Lower Rio Grande:
Would you like a cottage in this
sunny Southern land,
Where the tall palmetto's waving by
the lazy Rio Grande?
Where the birds are singing sweetly,
where the roses ever grow,
And the moons shines just as bright
ly as it does in MeXico?"
These extracts only serve to show
that the valley is conducive to poetry
and lends inspiration when perhaps it
is least sought And this youth is
not the only one who has felt the
further glow in sojourning by the
winding Rio Grande," for there is
further evidence in a poem written
many years ago by one who was on
his first visit to Brownsville, although
he had dwelt by the Rio Grande in
other years, though at point far re-
mote from its mouth. On his first
visit to Brownsville, as he himself
informed me, he was enchanted with
all he saw, and such were his feelings
that in a moment of ecstasy he threw
off the following line, which have
appeared in print more than once:
"To Florence. -
Once more beside the Rio Grandei
I watch its waters ebb and flow;
Where woodbine and palmetto grow
The river silent flows along
And wanders to the deep blue sea;
Some mateless bird pours forth his
song
From out the tall palmetto tree;
And | would now enraptured be
If thou couldst share my joy with me.
s.And here at eve when vesper bells
Sound sweetly on the perfumed air,
And songbirds sing their fond fare
wells,
And every leaf seems stirred
with prayer"
Here in this land of love and peace,
The roses ever bloom and grow;
And murmuring waters never cease
To kiss the breeze in tuneful flow
Yet fairer were this land to me
If | could view it now with thee.
Last night l wandered DER the
ground
Where sleeping aMtamoros lay;
The moonbeams softly danced around
The tranquil scene in ceaseless
play.
Anon, the watchdog from afar,
Or night-bird from some castle
nigh,
Broke the sweet stillness-while
some star
Shot dazzling through a cIoudless
sky.
All formed a scene divinely fair,
Except, sweet girl, thou vert not
there.
| could quote other instances in
proof of my contention that there is
a charm in the valley of the Lower
Rio Grande which fills the heart
with glad surprise" but these are
quite enough, and for fear that | my
self may catch the divine affiatus"
in merely writing about it, l will
close by saying with the poet:
IF thou wouldst wander in enchant-
ed land,
Go finger by the winding Rio Grande.
1t is the land of plenty and of peace,
Where flowers ever grow and song
birds never cease. Gulf Coast
Magazine.
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