Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-11-13
John PauI's Letter ON
Autumn.
T IVIH L-lI NV AVIN NIlI1Nls
New YoRK, of a Friday

The melancholy days are come, the
saddest of the year, of wsiling winds
and naked woods, and meadows brown
and queer.
Strange how ones thoughts run into
rhyme occasionally; but it is easy for
me to write verse, having always been
Of poetical turn of mind. In this re-
spect do not at all resemble my fami-
IL, who are all eminently practical,
especially the eldest of my brothers,
who is a practicing physician.
Are physicians so styled because
they practice on the eredulity of their
patients?
No; 1 don't take after my father at
all but, if memory serves me rightly,
he took after me several times in early
youth, with a switch in his hand worth
any two in the bush.
Oh, that switch hazel; what myste-
rious and potent wand it is, particular
ly when the bark is pealsd off have
never been conductor, engineer or
brakesman, though Tve been on many
a train, but, when boy, was switch
tender.
l was renarking that the melancholy
days are come, the saddest Of the year.
of wailing Winds. and naked woods, and
meadows brown and sere.
Woods, however, is not quite so
naked as Niblo's nor do you see'er
there quite so much. There are more
bare limbs at the latter place, owing,
\ perhaps, to the fact that most of the
/ debutantes make their bough without
a single leaf
Indeed, like the Black Crook, and
shall be very sorry to see it on its last
legs. A string Of beauty is joy for
ever.
But we were speaking of autumn,
and l had just remarked that the
melancholy days are come, the saddest
of the year, of wailing winds and naked
woods, and flagons full of beer.
Indeed autumn is saddening. To see
leaves fall fills the mind with mournful
reflections, and sometimes l find it
necessary to withdraw from the un-
thinking crowd and shed silent tear,
but it affects me more to see stocks
fall.
Like an eagle 1 have a little wild
Erie, which l watch with constant care.
Alasl though, the Assyrian comes
down like a wolf on the fold, and the
next thing you know there's scurry
in gold, and my moneys all gone, and
have to pledge my family plate and
jewels for the subsistence of my family.
Mrs. Paul, on such occasions, kindly
volunteers to throw her old clothes
into market, but refrains when l point
out to her that the market is glutted.
A bad time for selling clothes now,
with the thermometer dropping below
zero. Strange. are they not, the quick
transitions of the seasons. One day we
are wearing linen, and the next finds
it cold enough for wooden. This morn
ing I mounted an overcoat, or rather
permitted one to mount me, remarking
as 1 stepped into the street and STUN
bled over one of the claimants to the
estate of Anneke Jams:
It is niDpins and an easOr hsirt
What difference there is in the way
that the first footballs of winter. are
welcomed by rich and poor. "Fine
bracing air" says the former, putting
on their warm boots and gloves, and
merry in anticipation over Jolly even
ings round glowing fires and sleigh
rides in the Park But to the poor it
is quite another affair. Shoeless and
shivering, they would prefer an AIR
with less brace to it, for shelter is scant
with them. They can scarcely creep
within the pail of the church without
having dash of cold water thrown on
them. Indeed it makes a vast differ
ence on which side of the window we
stand in viewing this same fns, bracing
weather.
But did not intend to be didactic.
and having good comfortable apart
ments of my own, with wood and coal
all IN for the winter, don't know why
l should fash myself about others.
Sometimes, however. wish 1 were
rich enough to scatter money promis-
cuously around for the benefit Of those
who need it. But perhaps the posses
sion of such a disposition is the very
thing which stands in the way of ones
accumulating sufficient to crafty the
desire.
AsDean Swift says, "God shows what
he thinks Of money by the kind of
persons he gives it to-"
just at present Pm an agrarian. l
keep a group of the Gracchi in my
trunk, and worship it night and morn
ing. l 90 in for an equal distribution
of property. 1t may be urged that
after distribution it would very soon
concentrate again into a few hands
Not bit of it, if you make me ehieJ
legislator. I'll make it a capital Offense
for any man to be found possessed of
ten cents more than he is originally
apportioned, and whoever fails to spend
all his income shall be banished from
Sitks and his estate divided pro rata.
Talk of political economy. Give me
a chance once!
Under the blessed order of things,
which / propose to inaugurate, there
would be no rich men and no poor. In
place of pushing and crowding and
gouging one another in the greed of
gain, the nation would be calm and
philosophical, viewing all questions of
right and wrong in the abstract, and
not binding them down to the pro-
crustean bed of pecuniary interests
Every man would have a farm, and I'd
have two. There'd be no more marry
ing for money, but all would be for
love.
Wouldn't that be pretty dish to set
before a king?
Just make me President, ye poor
and needy-surely you can, being large
ly in the majority-snd see if you do
not get your rights, and more too. 1t
will be necessary, however, for you 20
take me up at once, while in the
numor, for / intend some day to be
rich, and then shall no longer be an
agrarian. just at present Pm quite as
willing to distribute the property of
)thers for the general good. as any
lemagogue who IS looking to the Presi-
lency.
If nothing else offered, ] don't know
1ut that I'd accept a position in the
treasury. | notice that the Secretary
hip has been offered to a man named
Robb, which is an excellent preserVa-
ion of the unites and in exact accord
nee with precedent. But I've an idea
hat one surnamed Paul could astonish
he oldest inhabitant if he were given
far chance at the national vaults,
,reat as have been the achievements Of
'thers in that line. Try me once and
ZEE. JoTs Paul.
New EXPRESS ENTERPRIsE.-Consid-
rable attention has been directed
owaTds the important new express en-