The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-11-05
AUTUMN.
Autumn is again upon us, ushered j

Autumn is again upon us, ushered IN
with fragrant breezes, and with all The
beauty and harmony OF gentle summer
As vet no chilling blasts have come to mar
the beauty of the wood and plain. or still
the songs of the thousand vocalists who
swell their hymn Of praise in the dewy eve.
As vet. all nature is clad in pleasing green
OF summer. and the eye may wander lar
in search of the change attributed to au
tumn. And yet that change is at hand.
The death. knell OF summer has been
sounded. and a few more suns will mark
the great decay, the death Of all hal now
looks beautiful. A few more suns and the
feathered warblers, whose silvery songs
delight us, as they come iraught with ma
lures own music-will have flown to the
far off sunny south. The insects that give
US their concerts in the deep Of night, will
all have ceased-some forever-some to
awaken again in the dawn o! spring. How
many ofus will ever hear their voices again!
In this decay, in this sleep Of nature, how
many of us may sleep. also, that sleep
from which we never wake within the
bounds Of time! How many or how few,
God only knows. There is something
very solemn, pleasingly solemn, in the
contemplation Of tine changes OF autumn.
TO see each leaf and blade losing one hue
and assuming another. clinging to the last
to that which bore it-as if fearful Of that
dissolution which assuredly awaits it
seems to US a type Of frail mortality-oi
man, when the hand OF death is upon him
when he feels he is changing-when he
sees the grave yawn to receive all Of him
that will ever perish, yet cling to life till
the vital part is extinct, and he falls TO rise
no more
How wonderful are the laws Of nature
| what lessons in the minutest things before
US! Who can contemplate the eternal law
or order-which rules the vast creation
from the mightiest to the minutest thing
which sets and holds in motion worlds, and
sends forth each appointed blade at its ap'
pointed time-and not be made sensible,
and not be struck with that Almighty Power
which makes this mighty law! How reg
| ular are the seasons in their eternal rounds
Each year is an age-each season a stage
an epoch-each fruitful of its kind, and
true to the grand design.
Spring comes TO US full of smiles and
Joy; everything seems elate that it ha:
escaped the icy hand Of winter; and the
very streams seem laughing as they 90 or
dancing with their gentle murmurs, the
very birds sing more joyous than in otheI
seasons, and there is " freshness about al
nature. truly inspiring. Spring may be
likened to youth-Summer, to the prime o
lile-Autumn. to the wane-and Winter
to old age and dissolution. As there i!
something pleasant but solemn in the con
temptation OF Autumn; pleasant to behole
the fruits, the toll Of a season. the colder
harvest, ready to repay the labor Of the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. that it is the de
cay Of the year-that nature is being strip
ped Of her beautiful apparel-that it il
preparatory to the death Of the year.
In musing OH Autumn, our mind invarl
ably reverts 10 the autumn Of life, with TIT
thoughts of how few Of us will stand II
that point Of time, whence we can lool
back to the middle age. and mark our
selves three score and ten. But let dealt
and change come when they may, W
should ever be prepared to meet them-ll
the Spring-in the Summer-or in the Au
tumn.-TMe taSket.