Olmsted's Texas Journey

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt: ... bleak hill, to startle a black-faced flock, and see a plaided, silent, long-legged shepherd appear on the scene. A NEW SETTLES. The family whose hospitality we sought, were newly arrived German farmers. They had reached Texas in the fall, and had been settled here but about two months. Their house, although built merely for temporary occupancy, until they could spare time and money for one more comfortable, was a very convenient long, narrow log cabin, with two rooms, each having a sleeping loft over it, two halls, or rooms open at the ends, and a corn-crib. The cooking was done outside, by a camp-fire, but with utensils brought from Germany, and peculiarly adapted to it. A considerable stock of furniture was stored in the halls, yet in the boxes in which it had been imported. The walls of the two rooms had been made tight with clay, the doors were furnished with latches. (No man who has traveled much on the frontier will look upon these indications as trivial.) Our supper was served to us on china, on a clean table-cloth, in one of these rooms, skillfully and nicely. A sofa, occupying one side of the room, had evidently been made by the women of the family after the building of the cabin. On the walls there were hung a very excellent old line engraving of a painting in the Dresden gallery, two lithographs, and a pencil sketch, all glazed, and framed in oak. The family consisted of several middle-aged and elderly people, a young man, a young lady, and four very sweet, flaxen-haired children. They were all very neatly dressed, the head-dresses of the females being especially becoming and tidy. They were courteous and affable, and the tones of voice were amiable and musical. Our conversation with them was naturally left pretty much to our...