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Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"


I hope you will realize the romance of my cousin's dream with your
legends of the West, the woods, and the wild men of the prairies."
Days went by, and still the fever raged in the city. The cerulean was
bright and unflecked with a speck of vapor, like a concave mirror of
burnished steel. It hung above, and the red sun seemed to burn his way
through the azure mass. The leaves drooped as if weighted with lead,
and in the shade kindly thrown upon the wilting grass by the tulips,
oaks, and pecans about the yard, the poultry lifted their wings and
panted with exhaustion in the sickly heat of the fervid atmosphere. The
sun had long passed the zenith, dinner was over, and the inmates were
enjoying the siesta, so refreshing in this climate of the sun. Here and
there the leaves would start and dally with a vagrant puff from
vesper's lips, then droop again as if in grief at the vagaries of the
little truant which now was fanning and stirring into lazy motion
another leafy limb.
There was music in the drawing room. It was suppressed and soft--so
sweet that it melted into the heart in very stealth.


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