Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-09-30

he summer : meldncnOlF VleW'
The moaning OF Thy winds hear
AS the red sunse, dies aiar,
A.ad bars OF purple clouds GPpsar,
tohscurlng egety western star.
Thou solemn month I hear thy voice,
II tells my soul Ol other DAYS,
When but 10 live was to rejoice.
When earth was lovely 10 nv gaze
Oh Visions bri ghi-Dh, blessed hours,
Where are their living rapureS now
ask my spirit Is wearied powers
ask my pale and ieycred brow.
look to nature and behold
Ny hies dim emblens rusiling round,
IN hucS of crimson and Of gold
The years dead honors on the ground
And signing with the winds, feel
While their low pinions murmur bv,
How much their sweeping tones reveal
OF life and human destiny.
Alas, for Time AMI Death, and Care.
What gloom pbom our way they hmg!
like clouds in AnturB;'s gaSly air,
The burial pageant ul the Spring.
The dreams thai each successive year
Seemed bathcd in hueS OF brighter pride
~ last like wiiheIed leaves appear,
Md sleep in darkness, side by side"
:sll minds. whether of poetic cast or not are
which we are now Witnessing Even the veIy
atmosphere ~ changed, and sFSmS rcdolcnt with
beautiful sadness, aS The gentle winds roll out
their mUnOdy ovel decaylng nature, bidding us
mo,rn for The sunny days that are now wrap.
ped IN The deep oblivion Of chaotic night, - and
admonlShing us that n stern aud dreary season
Is rapidly approaching, when nature will as.
Jsl'ne an auNlure garb and the heart of the phys
iral world will be- chilled almost to inanimaie
aijion. Our minds are pen>lve. aud our thoughts
are occasionally occupied bv The more Substan-
lia and important lhlngs Of lite the foieS OF
The heart are diSsipaled. and, in measure, de
cayed by the passing season, and at such times
we are induced to mediate upon o change in
-pnrtemporal affairs. We see that all nature is
n hject to the laws and regulations OF q Supreme
Power, and we are forced 10 the inevitable con
vic.ion that man Is sot exemp, from the ,nyste-
rpnS operations Of he same Divinity
There is something in Autumn which we
can hardly describe, that has a decided tenden.
cy TO elevate the mind from the debaSing al.
lurenenS and associations of earth, and engage
m intellectual and spiritual reflections.
As Autumn comes, oh, how we gaze abroad
And wonder at the cnar"e. The fearful change
That is before us in the eyes broad range!
the trees and flowers, and plants are wilheTns
fast,
For Summers sunshine has deparled-past!
'TiS Autumn dearest season ofthe year,
\ lime al which the world should she'd tear
For Joys departing which, perhaps. Nil not
Return 10 US again Tor deaths our lot
Oh is there not in brown OcloberS day
Something 10 cheer Us on iie's checquered
way
Something that tells VS. in each neecv cloud,
That we must join, tull soon, deaths phantom
crowd
And that beyond this scene of pain and strife.
There Is a bright. long immortal life
And that III only by disease and pain,
That we can e'er lis bli>slul regions gain,
Where none will sigh DER pleasures funeral
knell,
Where friends may meet. no more to bid fare.
we'll
Each annual return of this season. as we are
rapidly advancing IN life comes with slion-
ger admoDitory lesson, aud forcllly reminds us
Tia, We are inevitably approaching that final
Autumn of existence, which will surely launch
Us into The long winter Of death. This Iefec-
ton, of itself will naturally make Us sad and
lnoughllul bu. The melancholy pleasure
which we derive from such meditatiunS leaves
IT'S lndellible impress on The heart. which mast
have its beneficial influence upon the character
purifying it from the 'OrrHpion of earth and
preparing ii for the ordeal of Heaven.
Bul there is another characteristic feature of
Autumn. which truly makes 1t season OF sad
ness II is deaths great harvest time, m all
parts OF the world. There are variety of
diseases which are peculiarly prevalent ut the
close OF summer, some OF an epidemic nature,
and many OF which are alarmngly fatal; even
IN our own pure cline, We are alike subject To
serious extent, to This decree Of a wise pow.
er. The mournlul toll of our church bells,
day after day. the gloomy hearSe, followed by
lis sad array, moving silently al ne our streets
with measured tread, toward the last silent
ciiy-all these are the most convincing proofs
that the fruits Of human life have ripeued To
maturity, aud been gathered 10 the great garne-
". II we walk through the graveyard, the /
many new made tonbS. covered with sweet
flowers. that have hardly wihered, tokens of
warm affection, satisfy rs thai The Reaper has
be- u dili.ent IN our cummun lty.-and then, the
weeping groups lingering around the varouS
lure mounds here a heart-broken mother, and
there responding father a youth who has
last the idol Of his existence a maiden whose
devoed one sleeps queill beneath, these al \
speak an audible language, that the delicate
tcndril'S oi the hearts purcst aud heSI affections
have been severely laceralyd Many very
many who were gay and happy, and in The
fuIl enjoyment of health a few weeks ago
looking forward through the far, u future ior
some anticipated pleasure and long thought OF L
happiness are now cold and STILL with the pale \
Shroud around them alas for human hopes, .
they are more evancSc ut than the air we
breathe
Dcah'S greatest havoc within the last few
weeks has been among those jewels OF pa
rents heart. Sinle>s children our grave ward
!, bedOued with their little beds all freshly l
made, aud nothing can possibly add deeper \
or more lasting beauty to The place,
than the ashes of these pure and SnlesS chill
drcn. They have never erred, and their souls
yre sure of inheritance in the new Paradise E.
Angc.S aud the Sancthed spirits of saints
must love to hover around their cold beds.
for 1t is the atmosphere Of innocence, as their
attendant convoy to The Eden OF the skies
Truly the graves oi ~ many children muN
hallow The pace and from this we should \
learn that the tomb has no ierrorS for The
= iyhleonS Christ has said, "Sufer liue chill. n
dren to come unto me. for Of such is the king \
d un of heaven" The grave, strange aS It
may seem, is ibe only passage through which
we can pas. TO a happier STATE OF existence
We lay our lillle ones there 10 rest. for We
know hat they are under the esrecial pro'ec-
irn Of God, aud that he will take them to him
self Fond parents biuefy NOUN over tlese
severe Affections, and The youthful mother will
prc,S the lifeless corpse of The ft't pledge Of