The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-09-11
INDIAN SIMMER OF DIFE.

an summer more beautiful than that of the sea-
son richer, SUMNER and more sublime than
any Indian summer the world ever knew-it is
the Indian summer of the soul. When the
glow of youth has departed, when the warmth
of middle age is gone, and the buds and bios.
sons Of spring are changing to the scar yellow
leaf, then the mind Of the good man, still ripe
and vigorous, relaxes its labors, and the mem.
ores of well spent life gush forth from their
secret fountains, enriching, rejoicing, fcrtiz
ing then the trustful resignation of the Chris
tan sheds around n sweet and holy warmth,
and the soul assuming heavenly lustrc, is no
longer restricted to the narrow confines of bus
iness, but scars beyond the winter Of hoary age
and dwels peacefully and happily upon that
bright spring and summer which await him
within the gates Of Paradice evermore Let
MS strive for and look trustingly forward to an
Indian summer like this
We take the above from paper published
many years ago. 1t appears as gem in the
column devoted to selection but without any
credit given. Who is the author of it
Such an Indian summer is exceedingly beau
tiiul, but at the same time lamcntably rare
From these two facts it may be inferred, either
that the beauty and desrablencss of such an
Indian summer Of life is but seldom seen, felt
or so lght after, or that the attainment of it is
work of considerable difficulty Indeed it is
spoken Of in the above as belonging oniv to
the good man, and rs the result only of a we'll
spent life, and, Of course, it must be thing of
but rare occurrence Our eyes have been bless
cd with the sight Of such an old age as is above
portrayed and a brief description of those
traits Of character which seemed, in that case,
to have the most to do with the serene and
f,,1 Ipli ,,.l,. Al
the earthly existence Of its subject may be of
some service to such as may desire similarly
beautiful old age-a similarly serene and glo-
rious sunset.
The youM of the subject of this beautiful
old age was one Of unusual freedom from follics
and frivolities, such as are common at that pc
riod OF life. Shallow, low, vulgar, and vicious
persons OF the same age had no attractions for
our subject in his youth, and his associates al
school and college were always such as were
above the common standard in refinement Of
taste and manners, in seriousness or stcadincss
ment Of scholars Most frequently his assoc
ates were older than himself Such were the
prominent traits and tastes of this mans youth-
ful years. When he reached the age of TWEEN
ty-one, his father wrote him long letter ex-
a son, and with his department and the indus
trious 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 same occasion, of
the youth Of her first born. 1t is currently re-
ported in the family that she employed the
same or very similar words in relation to her
sons course and conduct during his whole mi
nority, as arc 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,
namey-that such news about her son did not
surprise her at all, as George had always been
good boy.
The years Of the manhood of our subject were
devoted to business, which he prosecuted with
industry and the most honorable integrity,
He sought property mainly for the highest pur-
pose for which it can be sought or employed
the comfort Of his own family the assistance
OF others, and the promotion of benevolent and
reiormatory enterprise. He never accumula-
ted large fortune, for his hgh.toncd integri-
ty prevented his availng himself Of the tricke-
ry and undue advantages which are often prac-
tlced, and his generosity and ready sympathies
for the suffering, and for those who were strug-
Cling amid difficulties led him to disburse lib. |
orally for such objects. In word his career
as man was characterized by honor, honesty.
integrity, and brotherly goodwill and con.
cern for all within the sphere of his acquaint,
ance.
Such youth and such 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 by Others that the two worst
faults of The old age of -goominess and
querulolisness--we avoided entirely in this
case lie was not given to finding fault with
the times, and with the actors on the stage of
life, as many old people do, alleging that the
men OF the times are much worse than when
they were young and in active life He SEEM
ed ready to make all reasonable allowances for
the sportiveness and even boisterousness of the
young, which though it sometimes shocked his
gravity never led him tO horeh or ,,norulonc