Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 3, September 1999 Page: 142
[68] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal
reprinted in Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal,
vol. 4, no. 3, September 1994)
[omitted]
4. Only a Trip to Houston (published in Texas
Prairie Flower, vol. 2, no. 2, August 1883 (part
1), and Texas Prairie Flower, vol. 2, no. 3, Sep-
tember 1883 (part 2); part 1 accompanied by
an article reading: "Our new contributor,
Mrs. Fannie Darden of Columbus, Texas, is
well known in literary circles. Her husband,
now dead, was a lawyer, and a member of
Hood's Brigade. She has severed her connec-
tion with the Sketch Book, at Austin, and
transferred 35 names to our record book. We
mention this at her request, as there has been
some misunderstanding with regard to her
business arrangements. She will furnish us
articles of early days in Texas. ")
Leaving our beautiful city of live oaks,
on the 19th of April, our train sped swiftly along
past river and prairie towards the city of Hous-
ton. It was 6 o'clock when we started, and the
sun gradually declining, shed his golden smile upon
the scene, and imprinting his parting kiss upon
the blushing trees and shrubs, left us to the calm-
ing influences of the night, with her deep'ning
shadows and the pensive thoughts incident to the
hour. As we sped across the prairie, far to the
south of us, there seemed to be a line of cars, a
phantom train, stationary, and sending forth bright
flashes of fire along its line. It seemed to be
waiting the signal to move, with its supernatural
freight of shadowy forms to the land of the mythi-
cal unknown. It was the prairie on fire, but the
illusion was complete, though weird and wild. At
Rosenburg Junction, we saw a train of more tan-
gible form advancing towards us, brilliantly lighted
and pouring forth its dark pillar of smoke athwart
the sky. It was the Santa Fe line. The train on
the New York, Texas and Mexican line had just
arrived, and we soon had an accession to ournumbers consisting of Texas veterans en route
to the annual reunion to be held this year at
Belton, on the twenty-first, the anniversary of
the battle of San Jacinto. There were quite a
number of them accompanied by their wives from
southwestern Texas, and they were in a happy
and jovial mood. Being a descendant of one of
the heroes of San Jacinto, I extended the "right
hand of fellowship," and was immediately re-
ceived into the ranks. On leaving, they expressed
the wish that I would be with them at the next
reunion. I answered, "Yes; I hope to be, if they
were still living." "Yes," was the answer, "if we
are living. But we are dropping off very fast."
As they filed out, one by one, some of them bent
with age, and all of them with whitened locks
and visage furrowed by the rolling years, I felt
inconceivably sad with the thought that many of
them would probably pass from mortal vision
before another reunion. I was also feeling very
young, recalling the days of my childhood, part
of which had been passed in the republic among
the early veterans, when a voice behind me
caused me to look around. "Excuse me, madam,"
said the lady, "but can you tell me where these
veterans are going. I explained, adding that the
gentleman, Col. Menefee, who was talking to
me last, had belonged to my father's company
at the battle of San Jacinto. This led to a mutual
recognition, and we found that we had once been
schoolmates and afterwards passing acquaintan-
ces of society. "Why is it you did not recognize
me," I asked, "Is it because I have changed so
much?" "Yes," she replied, "you look a hundred
years older than when I saw you last." Imagine
how a cabbage head feels and wilts when it is
plunged in boiling water, and analyze my feel-
ings!
The route from Columbus to Houston
runs mostly across extensive prairies, now bright
with emerald green and gaily blooming flowers.
We cross the Colorado, East and West Bernard
and Brazos rivers. Like all Texas streams they
are small. The Bernard is scarcely worthy of142
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Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 3, September 1999, periodical, September 1999; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151407/m1/14/?q=nesbitt%2520memorial%2520library%2520journal: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.