Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-11-08

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far north, and follow the retiring Sum
mer to the far South. The best author
ities put them Immediately ,after. Squaw
Winter, which is the first cold snap
that destroys Vegetation. This Is often
accompanied by furries of snow and the
freezingSof the ground as if the real
winter had commenced This rarely
comes before October even in NewsEng-
land. The true Indian Summer then
begins, and according to the calendar
we must have twelve of these days be-
fore the real Winter commences. We
have the most of them in November,
rarely, however, coming more than one
day at time at this late season.
They are found in greatest perfection
along the Atlantic coast, where the in
fuence of the Gulf stream is felt A
breeze from the South or Southwest
brings the atmosphere of the tropics, and
the most enjoyable weather Of the year,
When the Governor guesses right, and
Thanksgiving week falls upon Indian
Summer, the cup of, blessing runs over,
and there is nothing more to be desired.
The old homestead is certain then to be
crowded, and the last grand child to be
brought to the family gathering. The
warmssunshinesof the heart finds its fit
ting response in the outer world, and
the chill blood ofage is quickened with
a Summer glow again. Old age, sur
rounded with children and children's
children, is much like the Indian Sum
mer. It lies between the active duties
IIof life and the Winter, which we call
Death, hut which is really no, Winter
but Spring time, if life have been well
spent. 1t is sober. but genial, all the
activities are subdued, the passions soft
ened. making it the ripest, best period of
Summer life.
This is the month in which we usually
pay our respects to 'the old folks at
home, !" and as We have talked abund-
antly Of planting and shoeing, haying
and harvesting, for the edi6cation of our
young and middle aged friends, We pro-
pose now to say a word for that less
numerous, but not less honored class,
who only read these pages through the
aid of glasses. 1t is said, with how
much of truth We cannot tell, that the
custom of returning to the old home
stead to keep the only festival in the
Puritan year, is not SO generally OBJ
served as in the last generation, before
1.-THE advent of steamers and railroads,
which would seem TO make the trip
much more safe and pleasant. 1t is GER
.tainly true that the day is more widely
fobserved, nearly all the States taking
public notice of it, the churches gather
ing for worship, and families doing am
pie justice to the roast turkey and the
chicken pie, But the charge is, that
| the son, who left the farm early in life,
and who has been prospered in the city,
finds it more agreeable to spend the day
around his own mahogany, and inside
his own marble front, than to make a
pilgrimage to the humble dwelling that
sheltered his childhood and there keep
the feast in palmer style with father and
mother. He has lost his relish, net
only for country life, but for the simple
manners and frugal fare of the good old
people that gave him being, nourished
MS helpless Infancy, ana trained MIN 10
habits of virtue and industry. He has
forgotten the plain granite rock whence
he was hewn, and affects marble. This
| may be putting the case rather strong,
for business cares rather than pride, We
would gladly believe, wean sons and
daughters from the old homestead
But it is paying too high a price for
worldly success, however great, when it
blunts filial affection, and weans US from
the asslduities that are always due to
tparents.
The annual pilgrimage at any reason
able sacrifice, will make better sons and
daughters, and give happiness that gold
can not purchase. The old folks are
often lonely at the eventide of life, hav-
ing sent out all their children to new
and distant homes. This year, the war
has taken the lasts from some Of these
homes, and the Benjamin of the family
on whom they had leaned for support
will spend this festival in the tented
field. Those who can, should go to
cheer these bereaved hearts, now sad
dened by a double grief, their country S
and their own. ssa7r.