Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-09-02
Indian Summer of Life.

III inc lie OIL the gOOQ man LheFe Is an
Indian summer Of life more beautiful than
that Of the season richer, SUMMER, and
more sublime than any Indian summer the
world ever knew-it is tile Indian sum
mer Of the soul. When the glow of
youth has departed, when the warmth of
middle age issgone, and the buds and
blossoms Of spring are changing 10 the
scar and yellow leaf, then the mind Of the
good man, still ripe aud vigorous, relaxes
its labors, and the memories of a well
spent life gush forth from their fountains,
enriching, rejoicing. and fertilizing then
the trustful resignation of the Christian
sheds around a sweet and holy warmth,
and the soul assuming a heavenly luster,
is no longer restricted to the narrow con
fines of business, but scars beyond the
hoar's age, and dwells peacefully and
happily upon that bright spring and sum
mer which await him within the gates of
Paradise eyermore. Let us strive for,
and look trustingly forward to an Indian
summer like this.
We take the above from a paper pub
lished many years ago. 1t appears as a
gem in the column devoted to selection.
but without any credit given. Who is
the author of ii?
Such an Indian summer is exceedingly
beautiful, but at the same time lamenta-
bly, rare. From these two facts it nav
be infeffsds either that the beauty and
desirableness Of such an Indian summer
of life is seldom seen, felt, or sought af-
ter, or that the attainment of it is a work
of considerable difficulty. Indeed, it is
spoken of in the above as belonging only
to the good man, and as the result only
of a well spent life, and, Of course. it must
be a thing Of raresoccurrence. Our eyes
have been blessed. with the sight Of such
an old age as is above portrayed, and a
brief description Of those traits of char
acter which seemed, in that case, to have
the most to do with the serene and beau
tiful Indian summer scenes which closed
the earthly existence of its subject may
be of some service to such as may desire
d similarly serene and glorious sunset.
The youth Of the subject Of this beauti-
full old age was one Of unusual freedom
from follies and frivolities, such as are
common at that period of life. Shallow,
low, vulgar, and vicious persons of the
same age had M attraction for our sub
ject in his youth, and his associates at
school and college were always such as
were above the common standard in re-
fnement of taste and manners, in steadi.
ness or seriousness Of department, and in
ability or accomplishment of scholars
Most frequently his associates were older
than himself. Such were the prominent
traits and tastes Of this mans youthful
years. When he reached the age of q,
his father wrote him a long letter expires.
sive of his entire satisfaction with him as
a son, and with his department and the
industrious and wise use which he had
made of his opportunities during the years
of his minority. Nor was his mother any
less pleased with the retrospect she made
on the saIne occasion, of the youth of her
frst-born. 1t is currently reported in the
family that she employed the same OF
very similar words in relation to her
sons course and conduct during his whole
minority, as are said to have been used
by the mother of Washington in reply to
some one who was informing her Of some
new instance of his worth, or Of his favor
with the people, namely-that such news
about her son did not surprise her at all
as George had always been a good boy.
The years of the manhood of our subject
were devoted to business, which he pros
ecuted with industry and the most honor
able integrity. He sought property main
ly tor the highest purposes for which il
can, be sought al employed-the comfort
of his W family, the assistance of others
and the promotion of benevolent and re
formatory enterprises. He never accu.
INFLATED a large fortune, for his high
toned integrity prevented himself from
availing Of the trickery and undue advan-
tages which are often practiced, and his
generosity and ready %sympathies for the
suffering, and for those who were strug.
Cling amid difficulties led to disburse lib
eralfyfo such objects. In a word, his
career as a man was characterized by
honor, integrity, and a b~rotherly good
will and concern for all within the sphere
Of his acquaintance.
Such q youth and such a manhood
might be expected to produce a serene
and beautiful old age ; and in this case
they did. Probably it was more owing
to the benevolent interest habitually felt
for others, that the two worst faults. OF
the old age of many-gloominess and
querulousness-were avoided entirely in
He was not given entirely to finding
fault with the times, and with the actors
on the siege Of life, as mauy old people
do, alleging that the men Of the times are
much worse than when they were young
and IN active life. He seemed ready to
make all reasonable allowances for the
sportiveness and even boisterousness Of
the young, which though it shocked his
gravity, never led him to harsh or quer-
ulous remarks. He was willing to judge
all with candor, and thus he escaped that
complaining habit which many old per
sons fill into, and which is so disagreed
BILE to those around them. In a word
his old age was cheerful and beautiful
al Indian summer a golden sunset.
Sprains Cured by Manipulation.
This 4,eans Of treating sprains, recent
ly revived by Mr.. Gerad, is frequently
had recouse' to by NJ. Nelaton, the distin.
guished surgeon Of the Clinique Hospit-
1 II ~ 3f E' II