The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-12-13
NOVEMBER MORNING
FROM A CAR WINDOW
wv. H. johnson in Columbus, Ohio,
Sunday Dispatch)


The habit of sleeping late In
the morning Is a luxury, and like
many other luxuries 1T is of Dues
tionable value. The habit of walk
ing with the first peep of dawn
brings many things of value which
the late sleeper never has the
privilege of enjoying. The pres
ent writer carried the early-wak-
ing habit over from boyhood days
on the farm, and has had count
less reasons for congratulating
himself that he did.
The last of these reasons was
his view of a Southern Tennessee
sunrise, from the window of a
Pullman car. only few days ago.
The night before he had watched
the bright moonlight playing over
the brown Kentucky fields, above
and below Lexington. AS the stars
began to fade with the approach
of dawn, he opened his eyes, per-
haps twenty miles north of Chat
tanooga. Along the crest of the
hills to the east dark objects
doomed against the sky which
were easily identified as pine
trees. over the low ground be-
tween the railway and the hills
slight fog made everything
vague and uncertain.
AS the light increased grass,
weeds and bushes were all seen
to be covered with a good coating
of white frost, making one wish
for a chance to get OF the oc-
casional heavily-loaded persimmon
tree that fitted by the window.
If the writer's toilet was some
what hastily made, and his shaw
ing little ragged, 1t was because
these concessions to civilization
were performed with one eye out
the window, and with considerable
haste, in order to get out to where
a view could be had from both
sides of the car.
The radiatin'g streaks above the
near hilltop horizon to the east
marked the coming of the sun,
and presently the break made by
a receding valley brought its gol-
den splendor into full view. AS
It's rays struck the tall weeds as
with millions of diamonds, woven
into background of lace. spread
over the whole valley wherever the
sun could reach it.
Back on the hillsides to the west
the full glory of the autumn TO-
liage was revealed, mingled with
the bright green of the sunlit
Southern pines, everywhere inter-
spersed, singly or in small groups,
among the oaks, hickories, sweet
gum tree, or liquidamber. >as the
Nature gave beauty with a bounte-
Gus hand when she sprinkled the
Southland all over with, tho sweet
gum tree, or liquidamber. as the
botanists have we'll named 1t. Its
glossy star-shaped leaves take on
an the colors of our hard naples,
and also a dark whey red to
which no maple ever attains.
The oaks on the Tennessee HILL
sides show about the same variety
of color as in the hill counties of
Ohio, from sombre browns to mel
low purple tints and reds. occa-
sionally quite bright. Toward the
top of the ridges, gray and white
cliffs are continually breaking
into sight, with the derricks of
quarry now and then looming into
view. We pass a large brick and
tile factory, and the breaks in the
hillsides from which their material
is drawn bring the red and yellow
clays into competition. under the
morning sunlight with the colors
of the leaves.
In the low ground, nearer at
hand, is an occasional clump of
beeches, with their delicious yell
lows and browns, and an occasion
al thicket dotted with the bright
red leaves of the greenbrier. and
tangled also with ild-grape
vines. showing their purple clus-
tiers. Now and then tall syca-
more guards the sides of a stream,
its twigs hung with their harvest
of seed balls-and again and again
the persimmon tree, delight of
'possums and of men, if they know
enough to let it alone until the
chemistry of nature has trans
formed its. earlier astringent juices
into one of the finest flavors held
by any wild fruit that grows.
Well, we might ramble along in
definitely about this delightful
Tennessee morning, but some
space must be left for matter of
q more distinctly editorial type.