George Washington Cable:
(October 12, 1844 – January 31, 1925)
American novelist notable for the realism of his portrayals of Creole life in his native New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been called “the most important southern artist working in the late 19th century”, as well as “the first modern Southern writer.”
For summer there, bear in mind, is a loitering gossip, that only begins to talk of leaving when September rises to go.
> In that place, summer lingers so long that it only ‘starts’ to leave when September is already ending.
Cable personifies the seasons:
– “summer”
= a person who overstays a visit
– “loitering gossip”
= someone who hangs around chatting and is slow to depart
– “September rises to go”
= September is itself about to leave, i.e., the month is nearly over
So the sentence is a poetic way of saying that ‘summer weather lasts well into September’, especially in a warm Southern climate.
✍️ Author: George Washington Cable
– American novelist and short-story writer
– Lived 1844–1925
– Best known for writing about “Creole life in New Orleans and Louisiana”.
📚 Origin:
The quotation comes from Cable’s novel:
> “The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life”
> by George Washington Cable
> First published in book form in 1880
The setting is ‘New Orleans/Louisiana’, which explains the reference to summer lingering late into the year.
📝 In simpler words:
> “In New Orleans, summer is slow to leave; even when September is nearly over, it is only just beginning to say goodbye.”
