Show IN THE WARM SOUTHLAND A 1 F UA R Y F FROM R THE LAUD LAND OF TO 20 THIS LAD OF fil glovelis 0 breezy account of a midwinter trip to Ln arleton Jack jacksonville bonville and bt auoustine motels hotels which are arc palaces wo we left washington on february eighteenth and ater after spending two do days in new york boarded tho seminole for jacksonville on ing tons birthday N now ow tho ono one ace accomplishment 0 m ment of my life has haa been that 1 was always a good sailor but on this trip I 1 had to succumb never raising my head bead from the pillow rom tile the hour wo we started until wo wo charles ton I 1 thought pretty faithfully of my dnn who was sick for 12 days while going to tho the isthmus it was a terrible passage for us very cold rainy and completely dismal nearly every ono one was sick only two ladles and a few gentlemen my husband among them being tho the exceptions I 1 hai had tho the dubious pleasure plea suro of taking all my meals in my berth for two tho the steamer pitched and rolled to such an extent that my husband stay in his upper berth and when wo we camo came around hatteras Hatt cras it seemed really perilous the captain said it was wag tho the rough est night the boat had experienced for five years and it will bo be a long lone long while before I 1 shall want to round saturday morning however the misery was over and at eight A bf M wo we stopped at charleston with a partially clear sky and a few hours before us in which to do the city wo we drove to the Dat battery tery and walked tho the length oi of the sea wall ter in tile distance and tuo tile ashley and cooper rivers in ohp paric are several r old statues and on a warm night it f must bo be a charming apol flowers in winter then wo we drove through the tha town encountering everywhere gardens in bloom and trees in foliage as it it were the month of may alay A lady we met gave mo me an exquisite red and white camella and I 1 saw aa immerso bush 2 mv CALHOUN MONUMENT charleston 5 C Q covered with red ones we went into st michaels church one of the oldest churches in tho the south twice injured by fire and tho the walls cracked during the tha great earthquake tho the three walls walla are lined with memorial tablets the tha pews aro are of tho the old style high ones fort SU hITER CIURLE STON harboe t A a I 1 un FORT there the street la Is broad the houses right on the street their grounds on either cither side bide planted with vegetables magnolia trees roses rosee in full bloom and a wealth of vines everywhere the houses here bore were built before the war and are immense three story structures running way back with two and three story verandas facing the south to catch the sea breeze quaint old carvings are ort on the dodrv which ore nire al also resplendent ent with great brass enoc knockers hers the biow alo w Is 13 hue flue and expansive including charleston harbor fort sum our heads just appearing over the tops we rambled through the market a one story building extending from block to block till I 1 think I 1 counted six hero here wo saw fruits and fresh vegetables in abundance the darkey women balancing great flat baskets on their continued on next roee page ij hea beada t ea filled I 1 I 1 ed wita the tha freshly cut fruit who has always llund la in tile the knorth north tho the colored part ot of the community would bo be tho the most interesting feat pro of this southern city on every i tero groups ot of men mea and boys hands bands in their poc pockets kots lazing in tho the f sunshine Bunsh lne women earring big baskets ot of laundry work on their woolly heads and rolling and tumbling everywhere I 1 reached tho the steamer well satisfied with my sight bight of charles an ton and a at t 2 P BI we left tho the harbor 1 tho I 7 re remainder indr of the day was bright an and d although 1 gh c ool cool wo we stayed on dock deck until dark wo we passed close to fort sumter so BO quiet and deserted that it ivd wai difficult to realize that tho the first noto note of war was sounded bounded from that 1 spot pat nearly halt a century ago tito the st johns in florida the next day was bright warm and beautiful and at 1 7 A al 61 we entered tho st johns river in florida with its low banks entirely devoid of 0 interest Re headline deachin achin jach sonville in tho the morning we drove all over tho the city saw BOW the largo large now new hotels and some handsome dwellings and the built up district over which the big fire had bad swept we took the train for st bt augustine one of the dreams of my ufa life was to he bo realized wid and rodo rode for more than an hour through woods of the long leaf pine and um scrub palmetto then ali en be bedoll holl the toy bay and tho the quaint old city state senator S who was in any ny husbands company during the war met yi 1 I with his bis carriage carr lago and his bis hospitality was so BO imperative that we could but accept ito ho owns a pretty place a little out of the city on san ban marco avenue where wo we spent a pleasant evening with him and his bis wife and the next rooming morning he bo drove us all over the old town past tho the superb hotels the old spanish houses the oldest Is BOO years through the narrow streets the nar narrowest rovest five feet wido to the barracks bar mckin find and along the I 1 alful abny while beyond anastasia 1 id ad lay the ocean palms palma and tropical fruit the riaza plaza overlooking the bay teems with tropical growths palms Ini bananas naum oranges tree ferns agaves min and d m many any things I 1 dl did I 1 not know at the end stands the old slave blavo market V A J v of HOTEL ALCAZAR SLAVE MARKET PT FLORIDA AUGUSTINI then thea we wa drove drova to the ponce do de leon where senator and mrs S lunched with us ua this hotel Is a vast moorish palace covering acres of ground ono one enters through a massive iron sate gate a flight ot of steps leads to a veranda on either cither side with a a large court tn D front filled with tropical growth bordered with verbi inas migno geraniums and roses in full bloom in the centre of this paved court a largo large fountain la Is fed by bronze frogs and turtles while the basla basin flashes with splendid gold fish A few steps lead to the main verandas the floors of which and all the corridors are flow leBs marble the rotunda rising to the roof Is superbly carved in antique designs of oak while marble fire alro places contain huge lighted logs resting on the massive breiss and andirons irons very largo paintings which are masterpieces hang bang on the second floor door of tho the rotunda the immense dining hall in the contra centre of the building must be seen to gather any conception of its splendor the frescoing on the walls walla and ceilings beggars description each sua slie ot of tho the toom room is enclosed in glass and tho the guests gaze out upon the upon open grounds green as in summer time the pollara in this room are wonders gondera of architectural beamut fairy land zones scenes tho the furnishings are magnificent in id cold pale rose tints and pale blue ina ae of tho the mantels la Is veritably a thing i beauty it Is of white carved wood pd ind rich pieces of mexican onyx with clock rt ct in the onyx and with huge k frass ass andirons anut and rons irons the cost must have teen con thousands we enao hero here in the henings to listen to the fine music in in he rotunda and the court look looked ea like alry land lighted with ninny many colored benu descent globes hidden among the annas it wm was a charming scene the opposite the ponce on oil the ither side of tho the beautiful square filled rith all green plants Is a charming old bill it of concrete tho ponce Is con reto with trimmings and coverings in jerm erra cotta the alcozar surrounds I 1 very largo large court filled with flowers fl owera n the centre of which Is a largo foun aln always playing windows open opell on t and a walk extends all around the purt the first floor Is used for stores irlene tempting goods axe are displayed across the street from tile the alkazar Is the ina cordova with a small lighted court in the filled with plants and lal ros and beyond a small email open court where I 1 saw sw my first banana plant with ripening fruit the parlors aria are furnished in oriental des designs igns and dark rich colorings massive carved pieces wonderful man mantels aels brass tables bronzes of workmanship and a thousand things I 1 tho the space to mention everywhere meet the eye those these three hotels with their wealth of beauty are a rare sight in my next letter I 1 will take you to anastasia island and further south couth in th this is land pi of cowers |