10
THE BATTALION.
while his featiwes are much softened by the Southern sun, re
tains much of the grim white hoary aspect attributed to him
b}^ Longfellow. While his encroachments upon the dominion
of Spring tempers him as a whole, yet the friction of opposi
tion irritates him into sudden bursts of great severity. Today
the sun is shining brightly, making the uninitiated think
that he has at last found the land of perpetual spring. In a
tew hours a great blue hazy billow is seen to rise slowly along
the northern horizon, and anon a gale bursts upon you,
howling and whistling over the bleak, bare prairies, and 3 7 ou
are in the midst of a real “Texas .Norther.” For a day or so
it rages, chilling the land both far and near, then it gradual
ly abates, until old Sol breaks forth, stripping this fair land
of her icy mantle, and before many hours you Avill be led to
exclaim, ‘‘Do they have any winter in Texas?” We are situ
ated as it were, on a battle ground between Sol and Boreas,
in which Sol is generally the master, but is frequently called
upon to muster all his strength to repel the incursions of the
fierce “North Man.”
The question may be asked, “does not sach a climate af
fect the character of her people?” It is generally supposed
that climate of all kinds will finally modify the character of
the inhabitants. The people of Texas are thrifty and indus
trious, they are noble, brave and generous; but, subjected as
they are, to the extreme vicissitudes of climate, we might sup
pose that they in time would become a restless, impatient, un
settled race. We will acknowledge that such little shows it
self at present, and will venture nothing further in prediction,
but leave all to the speculation of the thoughtful reader;
vhat we have said may serve for an analogy of the character
of our hero.
In one of the villages situated in the region we have just
described, Jean Sans-delai was born. So far, nothing very
remarkable, as such events not unfrequently happened in the
town, but if you find a hero in this story it will mostassured-
iy be Jean. Jean’s birthplace was, in main’- respects, a de
lightful spot. From the neighboring hills it appeared as a
little village, situated on a gentl}^ elevated plateau, in the