Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-04-29
THEODORE PARKER ON OLD AGE.

We give below some promised extracts from Mr.
"Parker's Sermon of Old Age" noticed in our last
number; and they will attract the attention of our
readers without any words from us. We have
made the extracts at random, upon q sudden call
for more copy" Pra. Ch
There is time when the apple-tree blossoms 5
with its fellows of the wood and field. How fair
it is All nature is woosome and winning; the
material world celebrates its vegetable loves and
the hower-bells, touched by the winds of Sprnp.
usher in the universal marriage of Nature Beast,
bird insect, reptile, fish, plant litchen with their
prophetic colors spread all float forward on the tide
ot new life Then comes the Summer. MANY n
blossom falls frutless to the ground, litering the
earth with beauty, never to be Of use. Thick
leaves hide the process Of creation, which first
blushed public in the flowers, and now unseen goes
on. For 30 liie's most deep and fruitful hours are
hid in mystery. Apples are growing on eyery
tree; all summer long they grow, and in early Au-
tumn. At length the fruit is fully formed the
leaves begin to fall, letting the sun approach more
near. The apple hangs there yet; not to grow,
only to ripen. Weeks long it clings to the tree II
gains nothing in size and weight. Externally.
there Is increase Of beauty. Having finished the
form from within, Nature brings out the added
grace of color 1t is not tricksy fashion painted
on but an expression which of itself comes ont
"a fragrance and loveliness of the apples inner
most. Within, at the same time, the component
elements are changing Tho apple grows mild
and pleasant. 1t sottens, sweetens in one word
it mellows Some night, ihe vital forces of thp
tree get drowsy, and the Autumn, with gentle
breath, just shakes the bough the expectant fruit
lets 60 its hold, full grown, full ripe full colored
too, and with plump and happy sound the annie
falls into the Autumn's lap; and the Springs mar
riage promise is complete.
Such is the natural process which each fruit zoe,
through, blooming, growing, ripening.
] The same divine law is appropriate for ever,
kind OF animal, from the lowest reptile up to inn
perial man. 1t is very beautiful. The parts a
the process are perfect; the whole is comnlete
Birth human blossom; youth, manhood, they ar,
our summer growth old age is ripeness Tn,
hands let go the mortal bough; that is natura
death. II is a dear, good God who orders all fo
the apple-trec, and for mankind Yea, his arl
shelters the spider and the toad, the wolf and th'
lizard and the snake;-for lie is Father and Mo
ther to all the world.
81 spoke the other day of the Dangers o
of early Manhood; and again of those Of late
Manhood; Of the period Of passion, and the nerio,
Of calculation. This, take it, say ii with rev
erence and under correcton,-is the danger Of ri,
; age that the man should be querulous; shoui,
slight the needfu and appropriate Joys Of youtI
and manhood that he should bo timid Of al
things which are new, consult with his fear an,
not with his hope, and look backwards and mo
FORTH These, 1t seems to me, are the special dan
gers OF the old man. Pardon me, venerable ncr
sons, If mistake! read from only without
, you can answer from within. 1t is said that me-,
; seldom get new idea after five and forty. IL i
perhaps truei but il has also been my fortune /
know men and women who in their old age had
long indian summer, in which the grass grew fres
; again, and the landscape had a richness, a mellow
moss Of ontine and of tint, yea and beauty, toe
/ which it had lacked in earlier years. What ba
/ been exceptional in my observation, NAV perban
be instantia and belong to the nature Of old msr
Divers diseases invade the flesh in old age, whic
most OF hen, 1t seems to mo. come from our gene