The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-11-21
SERMON

The editor of the United States Gazette
thus moralizes on the changes of the season,
and draws instruction and wisdom from the
notified and falling leaf:
Objects erer pressing dozen the sight.~
So says the great didactic poet. But ma
.tuIe knows how TO present objects in so ma
ny dresses and associations, that they never
satiate the appetite rightly formed, or dim
the sight that is directed to beauties. Day
by day the trees of our forests stand out in
view, the same object constantly pressing
upon the sight of the passer by, but, TO the
true observer, always affording some causes
for admiration, always presenting some com
bination to create delight. On Saturday last
the weather was cool, the skyclear and bluey
and here and there lay a f1eecy mass Of clouds
last night, that told of October. They might
generate wind, or give down rain, or they
might dissipate and pass off without dim
ming the sight by the samenesS of rainy
heavens! The forest-trees have bsgan TO as
sumo their harlequin garb, the amt as eve
ny October sees, yet new, yet varied with
some other object, of if the same as in the
last and many preceding years, yet chang
ing from the previous month, and SO bedight
with varying %colors, SO notified over withs
every hue feiected life can give, that they
seemed asif fresh from the hands of the Ma
ker, with all their charms TO invite mans
admiration 10 themselves, and lead up this
alteration to their Author.
The frost has. not done its perfect work
on the same tree, clusters of dark green
leaves would contrast with the softest yell
low, almost fading into white, or working off
with a gentle green. At the side of this,
the deep crimson; approaching the imperi-
al purple, invited admiration; and beyond,
the unflding cedar stretched out its bright
green, as if a new ~spring-time had come to
renew its freshness. A large Walnut Tree
stood denuded ofits leaves; some few boles
of fruit were pendant, but not beautiful,
while the naked arms OF the tree told ct
early frost; and its skeleton leafstalks
were pointing downwards as towards ITS
own contribution to autumn's harvest.
1t was a beautiful sight, nevertheless; and
perhaps the perfection of the scene was de-
pendent upon these ~leafiess trees, the oppo-
/ site extremity from the evergreen, that look
ed SO bright.
All cannot find, as some do, the feelings
| ofimmortality in these decaying leaves, for
they do decay. The stately fruit tree, in
the spring, blossoms for her Summer fruits;
and the forest tree stands ungainished with
| these early attractions: 1t has its summer
of foliage, rich in quantity, but awaits the
autumnal frost 10 create the variety of hues,
that its leaves may blossom for the grave.
They perish, and are no more forever.
But man falls from his estate to rise: and
though the mourning Uzzite afflicted himself
with the inquiry, "Man dieth and wasteib
away; he giveih up the ghost, and where is
he?n yet in moments Of better feelings, and
higher hope s,-nay, not of hope, of holy as
surance-he looked through the vista ofthe
grave, and exclaimed, 81 know that afterthe
worms destroy my skin, yet in nay flesh shall
see God.n
But the notified leaves, and their deca-
dence, do teach. Their beauty is greatest
at the moment oftheir fall. Utility hasbeen
the character of their life, but beauty marks
their de ath. And the man who has toiled
onward from childhood to age, for the good
of others, rearing silently, and unknown TO
himself, a name for kindness and virtue
home virtue, do mest;c kindness, social bene-
ft-exhibits but little ofthe garish beauties
of the spring blossoms; but the frosts ofagc
come upon him, and his end is beauty
Nay, more-as the forest leaves, by falling,
add warmth 10 the roots whence they were
nourished, and restore 10 IFS soil the richness
they had thence lmbibed, SO the memory OF
the good mans virtues enriches the society
in which he stood, and preserves the lfeyig-
or to the family whence he fell.