McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-04-14
NEW YORK
LETTER

Let US give the balance of the coun-
try a rest for awhile and turn our eyes
toward Florida, While | am writing
this, the streets of New York are COW
cred with snow, and keen wind is
whistling around the huge buildings;
but within thrty-six hours travel by
rail, the violets and roses are blooming
in the door-yards, the Poinsettias and
Bougainvillias are Haunting their flesh
colored and crimson banners In the
soft breezes, while the golden and
dark green colors of the orange and
loqua trees are reflected in crystal
waters, and the mocking bird is sing
ing in the camphor trees all day long,
while the palms rustic their broad
fronds in the south wind. in Orlando.
1t is a land Of poetry and dreaming
when you have the money to afford
it; and a land of mighty hard work
and frequent disappointment if you
nave no capital. | have seen Florida
at it's best and its worst, and still love
the state. forget the mosquitoes,
singing ants, chills, fevers, the lean
beef and the Hayti yams that served
for bread in hard times, but the glory
and the glamor of the groves, gardens
and lakes of that land of perennial
spring still live in my memory, and |
am mighty sorry | cannot be there
this minute.
Thirty-seven years ago we landed
in Orange county, in south central
Florida, and spent year on Lake
Beau Clair, one of a chain Of crystal
lakes lying like a chaplet of pearls
under the semi-tropic skies, their
waters so clear that in riding out in
a boat one grew dizzy because it look
ed like the boat were swimming in the
air; and you only had to throw out a
line with spinner attached and draw
it in, to haul in more black bass than
the family could possibly eat. My
mother, with the eye of true artist,
saw the beauties of this lake, and had
the power to describe it as no one else
ever did, or could do. and her poem
on Lake Beau Clair, with it's fidelity
to nature and it's true Florida touch,
was her masterpiece. No wonder it
was published in hundreds of news
papers, and made both her and the
lake famous throughout the state.
quote this beautiful poem from
memory and as it's melifluous meas
ures come to me, | see again that sun
lit shore, the waving palms, and the
moss-hung pines reflected in the pla.
cid waters; and my mother there
watching the sunset glow.
The tints Of opal and pearl have fed,
And the Lake is blushing rosy red,
While the pure, translucent waters shin,
Like crystal vase Of ruby wine.
There's glory in the earth and air;
The sun has risen on Lake Beau Clairi
On the other shore. the waters sheen
Reflects like glass the forest green,
And hes in deep and waveless calm
Around the beautiful isles Of CALM;
A marvellous picture, strangely fair,
On the placid breast Of Lake Beau Clair.
Fiercer and closer comes the heat,
For the noon6de's fevercd pulses beat,
And the Lake like molten silver lies
Meath the dazzling light Of tropic skies,
Till blessed breath Of heavens own air
Is softly waited Ger Lake Beau Clair.
Far in the golden afternoon.
The odorous breath Of flow'ry June
Troubles the waters so deep and clear;
Ripples and dimples them far and near
For zephyr, sweet as lovers pray r.
Like angels wing fans Lake Beau Clai
In the radiant west the magic glow
Repeats itself in the lake Of snow.
And each pearly cloud in its shining fol-
Is richly embroidered round with gold.
O where on earth is scene more fair
Than sunset view on Lake Beau Clai
My mother wrote many other beat
tiful things about Florida. but in thi
and particularly in the third and fourt
stanzas, she rose to heights worthy
renown. The hand that wrote 1t an
the wonderful brain that conceived
no more shall be occupied wit
the troublesome things Of this life; b.
the name of Jennie S. Perkins will Ion
be known through this modest song I
the far South. Appleton & Co. use
it to represent Florida in their mon
mental work Of Picturesque Americ
The laziness of the native Floridial
has formed the theme of many a chez
joke. Andrew Carnegie, having not