Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1909-06-04
MISS LHURA BONDUR4Nr

turned and retraced his steps, leayins :
letter Tor his friend, with the Cbocts..
Indians. This letter was consideraJ ~.
the Indians as something sacred and wss
preserved by them with great care Ton,;
never saw his friend again and the mes
sage left for LaSalle by this braye-be.rs-
ed man who alone had faced the ner;Is
of the wilderness along the Miss;ss;n,,s;;
was never received by LaSalle, bat fifteen
years later was given to Bienyille by the
indians.
As Bienville held the letter in his hand
what must have been his emotions. 4
message, as it were, from the dead. do.
livered 10 him from the hands of sayaoes
dwelling in the wilds of the forest. These
fierce Cnoctaws afterwards gave BienyilIe
much trouble, and it is somewhat incon.
gruous that from them we should get one
Of our most beautiful legends-the origin
Of the Magnolia.
Just beyond New Orleans lies a mar.
row swamp which winds like tattered
gray scarf about the shoulders of the old
gray lake called Pontchartrain.
Many years ago some of the Choctaw
Indians had quarreled with their trihe
and left it u come To the swamp. Being
pursued by their kinsmen fierce warfars
followed. Finally Owante, their fierce
young chief, won his first battle and the
enemy lied IN dismay.
When Owante had almost reached his
home, after the battle, he heard strange
cries uttered by the women. More swiir-
ly the light pirogue glided down the
bayou. hardly had the bow of the boar
touched the land, when Owante with
long strides reached his tepee. CTS
my little son, my little Chief" he muir.
INJURED. Nay, nay, tbs my little daugh-
ter, answered his wife. Without a word
tile disappointed chief strobe out into the
night ana crouched low under cypress.
moaning, because daughter instead OF
4 son had been born To INN. For long
time he hated his daughter, young Light
o-the- Moon, as she was called, because
she was 50 fair, but finally began to love
ner and ~ teach her just as though she
were boy-a son. There was no one
more skillIul with the bow or more fleet
vi foot than Light-o-the Moon.
On her fifteenth birthday she heard the
most awful, terrifying war-whoops, and
soon the men were ready to fight. Down
on the bayou, hidden IN the quiet shad-
ows, Owante and his warriors waited. By
her fathers side stood young Light-o-the
Moon. Steadily and surely she aimed
arrow after arrow at the dark men across
tie bayou. Never had Owanto fought rs
long or as tiercely as he did now. The
moon was sailing to the West but still
the fight went ON. Suddenly great cry
of JOY came from the enemy. Owanto
was slain.
His warriors for minute were perfect
ly quiet, then the battle cry was sounded
10y new voice. The men began to light
with renewed hope. Light-o-the Moon
was leading. High above her she swung
her bow. With u loud voice she urged
ner men. The enemy across the bayou
looked on in wonder. There she stood
among the palms, swaying like pale
night flower among tine broad, green
leaves. At last from the distance there
came loud cracking noise. Some one
mad SET the cane brake on lire and when
the enemy saw they fled in sudden terror.
only one stayed long enough TO take
steady aim: and among the palmettoes
Llght-o-the Moon sank W rest.
ears afterwards as two men were
padding down Lake Ponchartrain they
saw shining out from among the green
leaves, pale while Hover. This they
said was young Light-o-the Moon and
they gazed reverently at it as they rowed
down the stream. Thus was born the
Magnolia blossom.
Across Lake Ponchartain bridge has
been built which leads us into New Or
leans. Here we will pass by the Gene
tary and rest Tor Whine under the shsd-
ows OF the old duelling oaks. What stories
of other generations could be related By
these oaks
What a trooping of ghosts under these
lrees, II all vino have fought there should
revisit the spot
Other monuments of the past come
before us in rapid succession. The Ca
Dido, the Old spanish Fort, the st. Louis
Cathedral, Charity Hospital, statutes Of
Jackson, Franklin, Lee, and one Of the
ieast OF these-Margaret Haughery-the
Irish bread woman.
Here Is school house with the name
Of "McDonough' ON it. This is q name
New Orleans loves To honor. John Nc
Donough was "a native of Baltimore, and
ais story after coming to New Orleans u
a sad one. lie was tall, line looking,
literally educated, refined and polished.
in ten years he mad made his fortune
and become social fayorite. He TEL
deeply IN love with one of the most at
tractIve and charming young bellies OF
the city, who loved him devotedly in re-
turn. The girls father had refused TO
allow her to marry unless McDonough
became Roman Catholic. He refused
10 leave ms church, 80 they agreed 10
nope and wait, trusting time and per-
sIlasion would change the old mans
mind. But ii was not so, he remained
iirm IN the stand he had taken. When
Che young girl saw that her father did
not mean u change his mind she be-
came u nun. As coon as she renowned
all but religious communication with the
world McDonough renowned all but bu-
slness communication with it. he took
up his abode across the lake and every
lay became more and more absorbed.
thirty years slipped by and bent, gray,
neanly clad Inquire, with stern, COM
pressed face, was pointed out on the
street as Jonn McDonough, the miser.
All else connected with him was Tor
gotten. He was talked about, laughed
It and hated by men, women and child
'en. 4
Death took him at last, this misery
I'D man, and people said it was like
Death taking himself. When his will was
,robated, 1t was like bursting boom In
he city. He had left all his wealth 70
he cities Baltimore and New Orleans tor
purposes, asking that the
title children would sometimes come and
liant IA Hover on his grave.
lis Will i a PATHETIC DOCUMENT and e