piazza in rear of the car in a state of beatitude.

"After the forest came sugar plantations--one of 5,000 acres, off which
the owner last year made a million pounds of sugar. The cane, as we saw
it, just coming up, resembled corn in its early growth. We also saw
immense tracts of cotton, and then came the prairie, a seemingly
boundless expanse of green, gemmed with lovely wild flowers. There were
acres of beautiful blue larkspur, crimson phlox, varieties of poppies,
and other yellow flowers, besides many that I failed to recognize as we
rushed along. Here, too, the mocking-birds perched on the wires and
sang to us, and the poet of the party was inspired to write his lines
on 'A Prairie Pool,' one of many which we passed on our way."

I here give the little poem to which Mrs. Morgan refers. The fatigues
of the day before were yet upon me, and I ensconced myself near one of
the windows to have a silent, quiet little spell all to myself. It was
while thus abstracted, that one of the many pools, left by the recent
storm, looked at me with its sunlit face and said as follows:

THE PRAIRIE POOL

Within my heart I hold the skies,
Whatever hue they seem to wear;
In tempest gloom, or sunlight clear,
Their storm and shine alike I prize.

I lonely am, and motionless,
And yet, what great things come to me!
The planets in their mystery,
Sun, Moon, and Stars, the great, the less.

Deep in my heart I hold them all,
Their quiring voices cheer my lot;
All motionless in one lone spot,
Yet God's full heaven in sight and all.

And creatures great and creatures small,
Find comfort in my fixed abode;
It may be man, or bird, or toad,
I share my life with each and all.

For all are dear to heart of God,
And each can serve where'er he be;
Whether in life, full, rich, and free,
Or bound as I, by Prairie sod.

VI

San Antonio.--Work of Jesuit Missionaries.--Street Ramble.--The Old
Cathedral.--Evenings in our Car.--A Mission Car.--The Tired Clergyman
with his Renewal of Vigor.--The Alamo.--The Siege Sustained by Colonel
Travis and his Men.--The Tragedy.--Hymn of the Alamo.--The Western
Texas Military Academy.

After a glorious day along the southern line of Texas, at some points
being very near the Mexican frontier, we reached San Antonio at tea
time. Soon after, we were all ready, just in the gloa