The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-05-23
The spring Time.

-
ed by Rev. Henry Ward Bccchei:
There is something even moro
touching than this. 1t is the flight
Of birds. All summer they have
filled the woods. They rise from
the tbickets and weed-mufll Il
fences, as in our wandering We
scare them. They sing in the air.
They wake rs with their maths
They chant vespers with glorious
discordance Of sweet melody. They
fit across The lawn, rise and tall on
the swinging twig, or rock to the
wind on their nrial perch.
But after August they become
mute; and in October days they be.
gin to reccde from the DWELLING
No more twitteriDg wrens; no more
circling swallows, no moro gro.
tesque bobolinks; no more larks,
singing as If they were heart broken.
Thoy begin now to come in troops
in the distant field. At sunset the
pasture is full OF focks OF hundreds
and thousands. At morning they
are gone. And every day brings
feathery caravan. Every day they
pass on.
Long focks OF fowl silently move
far mp against the sky, and always
going away from the North. At
evening the weary string Of water.
fowls, flying low, and wisttnl Of
some pond for rest and food, ill tho
air with hoarse trumpeting and
clangor. They are going; the last
are going. Winter 10 behind them;
Summer is before them; and wo are
left. The season is beret. Light
is short; darkness is long. Flowers
arc sunken to rest. The birds have
flown away. Winter, winter, wins-
er is upon the earth!
At last come tho December days.
The ehortest is reached. Then a
few days stand alike. Then the so.
lar blaze creeps forward a minute
IN the evening. A little more,
again more, till half hours ring
around the horiaon--till hours are
strung upon the days-till the earth
comes back--.ilI ponds unlock them
selves. The forests grow purple
twisged. Tho great winds sigh
and rage. March busters and
smiles 10y turns--a giant that now
is crocs and now kind. The calves
begin to como. Lambs bleat. Tho
warm hills are plowed. At last the
nights arc without frost.
Al length we wake, some uncx.
pccted morning, and the blue birds
call is in tho tr.e. Wo throw up
tho sash. The sun lies flush on all
the landscape. There is a smile OF
soil and leai in the air. The p ,plar
buds aro fragrant as balm. Tho air
ia warm and moist. The birds are
surely here; they answer each other;
tho sparrow, tho robin, and alar oil +,
on the edges Of tho swamp, tho
harsh, twnnging notes OF the black.
bird. IL is spring! 1t is the time
, of The singing oi the bisds! Nobo1y
forgets tho wild thrill of the heart
ut the first sound of birds in tho
Spring.
Oh, with what sense OF emanci,
patton do we hear the birds sing
again! God eends his choir to sing
, over night and death for us. Win,.
er, that buried all, ia herself PUT
away. Death il swallowed up IN
I victory, and nature chants the re,
QUEEN Of tho past and the Joy Of the
e iuture. Now, days shall grow long
Q cr and warmer. Now industi y
0 shall move freely. Now, flowers
! shall come NJ; seed shall be sown
Y Doors an windows shall stspd
open all day long. Around til,
q barn the hens shall cackle an
t crow. Children shout. Spring ha,
}. come; and all things rejoice at thei,
i. release. No more inhospitabl'
n snow; no more blight cold. All il
e promise. Men go forth with seot
Q aud roots, and scions. The orch
J. arl, and garden, and field, arc iuI
OF life!
c "The wi ter is past, the rain i
y over and gone; the flowers sppea
=" on tho earth tho time of the singin
70 Of birds is come, and the voice {
" the turtle is heard in our land.
o Is this, now, nero ornaments
passage Of scripture? Scripture ha
no passages that are mere orna
r ments. Things ornamental ther
te are in it, but they carry marrow an
ID meat. Unlike all other literature
d. scripture never merely decorates. =.
- Ii there is 6gure, II 10 always &c
,e some errand oi moral meaning =
OF There is no description for descri,
to tons sake. There 10 no poetry 10
70 mere as,hetical pleasure. There i
pt alwaya profit withal.
o. Nature, then, teaches that to cy
cd cry season Of trouble and overthrow v
there comes resurrection. In Il
Z" deepest January OF the year there
a nerve that runs forward to june
,d Lilo is never cx'iuguished. Tn
which seems to b, death reaciiC
I'd forward and touches tina. which