Petals Plucked from Sunny ClimesBrooks, A. M. (Abbie M.)
History
Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes
Brooks, A. M. (Abbie M.)
Cuba -- Description and travel; Florida -- Description and travel; Florida -- History
Jacksonville and its adjacent towns number a population of over twelve
thousand inhabitants, the whole area being three miles long and about
two wide. The different names given to this small space of country looks
larger on the map than in reality. These corporations are distinguished
from each other by the names of Jacksonville, East Jacksonville,
Brooklyn, La Villa, Riverside, Springfield, Hansom Town, etc.--each town
containing, from fifty to fifteen hundred houses. The inhabitants say
they were laid out into lots and named, with the expectation of a large
increase of persons; consequently there are desirable building-spots in
these surveyed sites for growing cities, for sale at all times upon
moderate terms.
Jacksonville makes a display of architectural skill, in which are seen
the improvements of the nineteenth century. Yards and lawns are laid out
fronting many of the residences, where the beauties of landscape
gardening may be found blending in harmony with the
artistically-arranged walks and pleasure promenades. The sidewalks are
made of plank and brick, shaded and overhung with live-oaks, forming
archways of inviting appearance, from which swings pendant moss,
presenting a perennial, picturesque scene of nature's grandeur. There
are over twenty church-edifices in and around the city, where both white
and colored people come to worship in crowds. We are happy to state
these statistics find the inhabitants in a much better spiritual
condition than has been represented. However, we have no partiality for
many of the doctrines preached by itinerant reformers who come here. We
prefer our old orthodox faith, which made us contented while we lived,
and carried us to heaven when we died. But these new isms, such as
Spiritualism, Liberalism, Free-loveism, and every other species of
modernized infidelity that is now gaining ground and receiving
accessions from our Sunny South, are designed only to delude and drown
the souls of their followers in eternal misery. The Churches here are
representatives of various creeds and beliefs--Methodist, Presbyterian,
Protestant Episcopalian, and Roman Catholic.
The Sabbath dawns in Florida with its recreations and steam-boat
excursions, well patronized by Northern visitors, as very few appear to
bring their religion when they come South.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account