The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-17
METROPOLITAN MUSINGS.
An Autumnal HomiIy.

A MEpiTArra Middleaged Man is furnished with a
harvest OF reveries when the .sear and yellow leaf
the closing of the year. Nature everywhere
beautiful and instructive is doubly when allowed
fair chance in the midst of the bricks and mortar of the
metropolis. Lafayette square for instance win give
ample and verge enough for all the hometic out
pourings that the naturally suggests If the
city reader will walk up down (as his residence may
be above below W to that beautiful space he will find
there the suggestions that country friends will
perceive by gancng from their windows upon the fields
and forests around thcm
Change is the first thing suggested by the skeleton
like appearance Of the tender trees and rich dark
foliage of others We changing" we say to
ourselves and then begin to think of the many who
have left behind Of those whose young voices mingled
with ours in pastime, with whom also had boyish
quarrels and piqucs and almost fancy that manhood
is but childhood in full dress 1t is not only this grey
hair and the added weight of fresh memories that tell
we growing older but feel it In the changing Of
our tastes habits, and wishes souls like that
portion of the coast upon which the dash without
ceasng till they have mperceptbly borne off por
ton of the land So the biows of time beat upon u.s.
and we laugh at their murmurng until its music sounds
our requiem.
Stiffness is another Of the autumna lessons The birds
have all flown to favored regions the hum Of in
seots is all ceased and tho frost is pgng the air Of its
myriad forms Of anirnalcule when the general repose is
disturbed by the woodchoppers axe the air Is startled
and bears the sound great distances through the cham
bers of the forest and the bosom of the river This
beautiful natural phenomenon is yearly repetition to us
busy men of the world of the assurance that We too
need of perfect bodily and mental repose that
We ALSO require special chemistry of quicude to clear
the atmosphere of spiritual existence to purify
thoughts Of ambton lust and envy, and generally
dspe the harmful masmas which, lurking In the neigh
borhood Of our souls may generate disease in moral
life There is curious quiclenng of the reflections in
such periods Of repose and perhaps greater evidence
be furnished of the wisdom which the Catholic Church
has manifested in the selection Of its symbols than
the appointment at this of the year the two
great commemorative days Of All Saints and All Souls
The former day upon which the Church remembers in
its Offices all the namcless martyrs who have persIed in
early times under the prosecutions of pagans or who have
died upon lonely plgrmages in bowling deserts or sv
ing to reach barbarous people, have fallen prey to
shpwreck, famine or wild beasts--all these who in
dying have left not much their names are included in
the calendar with saints and martyrs the most famous and
heroic and socmny remembered Upon the oherand even
nober day. il is customary in many European cities espc
cially in Paris to permit grave TO go undccoratcd
with the symbol of everlasting affection Of the
dead however lowy long passed away unvisitcd.
Special pains taken that of the departed shall
be overlooked and time distance annul this
law Of grief. And here in America whatever may be
our religious pecuarites, every Of who may be
able to walk upon the brown grass and fallen leaves
have his day of All Saints and Of All Souls for his
thoughts will 60 backward and his affections will not
halt even at the grave
may be that middle life loves the autumn because il