ADDRESSES 165 



down one of those little bayous that intersect the State in 

 every direction. The spring freshets had swollen the stream 

 and set its waters far back into the forests that lined its 

 banks on either side. Festoons of Spanish moss drooped 

 like a mourning veil from bough to bough. Running vines 

 with bright-colored sprays of flowers twined in and out 

 among the branches of the trees. The purple passion flower 

 flung out its starry blossoms to the world, the sign and sym- 

 bol of a suffering Saviour, — while the air was heavy with 

 the scent of magnolias and yellow jessamines. Crested 

 herons, snowy white, rose from the water, and, stretching 

 their long necks and legs out into a straight line with their 

 bodies, winged their flight above the tree-tops; pelicans 

 displayed their ungainly forms as they snapped at the pass- 

 ing fish and neatly laid them away for future reference in 

 their pouches; strange birds of gaudy plumage flew from 

 side to side, harshly screaming as they hid themselves in the 

 dense foliage. Huge alligators sunned themselves along 

 the shore, or showed their savage muzzles as they slowly 

 swam across our path. Frequently, at some sharp bend, it 

 seemed as if we must certainly run ashore; but, the engine 

 being reversed, the current would swing the bow round, and 

 by dint of hard pushing with poles, we would escape the 

 threatened danger, and start again in our new direction. 



Sunset faded into twilight, and twilight deepened into 

 the darkness and silence of a Southern night, — and then 

 the entire loneliness and responsibility of my position sud- 

 denly overwhelmed me. I had no place to lie down, and 

 hardly dared sit, for fear of falling asleep. It seemed as 

 though I could hear whispers behind me, and every now 

 and then I would catch myself nodding, and wake with a 



