Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-05-06
FADING LEAVES.

Leaves fade prepnred'y. No leaf f'lis
from the trce-unlcss wrcnchHd on SUI
denly and unexooctodly in early growth
Nv external vinlen,n-wlthout making
due preparation for its de1arture dc ore
the slightest discooration ia seen upon IT,
there is a secret alequ,te provision maze
by nature for the inevitable hour nt IFS
passing away. Side BY side with 1t. eVe''
in its summer benuty and luxurianre. u
carries the mcrorial al once of its death
and ofa new birth T. bears the voAng
bud that is to nsurp its place in lts ho-
som. and nourishrs it with its~own rxpir-
ing life. This law Of the vegetable king
dom il one that knows no exception. No
leaf drops until new one Is prena-ef TO
take its plhce j; no flower perishrS I'LL its
house is made ready AMI filled with seeds
Provision and preparation for the futnr"
is the condition on which vegetable life
exists. Go to tho forest or the fetd, md
oxamiue every tree or frwer in this sad
sea-on Of decay. you will find to your sur
prise and delight that "thcrc is az much
Of life as Of death in autumn, that u"
elements Of future rcsu.citatinu and growth
are provided for. amid tokens OF univcr-
sal decadence and corrunton. Alrc udy
"another year is hidden along the bough'
that hangs it's dead discolored leaves III
the frosty air another summer is secure
among the pcrlcnrps Of the dying flowers
that strew the dcsoatc 6"l Is TIL" leaf
and flower bud, which appears to burst forth
as the uff.ping of the revvinc spring, are
~ l.
son They are 4ormcl; and in tn"sc
bleak cold days they are wrapped UP IN
.wadling band, to guard them from the
frost Yes every leaf makes prov sion
for hc>iuturc. and carries the prophecy
Of the future II its bosom. Alas. how
different is it in human economy Pro-
vision for the future is with man not the
law but the exception of his conduct
The great majority of m,nkind live. for
the passing hour-makc the passing world
their portion, and have n hope or wish
for anything beyond. They lead CAV
summer life, dance Ia the breeze and
laugh in the sunshine of pleasure, and
their only object IN exlstancc Is to ENJOY
it, forgctful of the coming blight that Is
20 rob them of,thair beauty, and of the
storms and fro,ts that are Fastening to
Law them low In the dust. Well may God
appear against such careless. goddess ones,
no utterly ignorant of tn, object and end
Of their life, To the forms of nature that
20 perfectly obey the divine laws written
upon them
Hear. O heavens and give ear. :
o earth. have nouri,hel and brought
ND Children. and they have rebel ci
.rainst Me" Nature il sent 10 teach us
by her autumual parallels and every
fading leaf on every tree, with IFS bud of
future growth hid behind it. becomes =
solemn text. warning US 10 secure wnle
.he lcafis yet green, the germ that shall
live when the frost of death has destroyed
both fruit and flower" A surely as the
leaf fades, so surely shall We faie. We
imagine that our fading is not mar. We
put far away the evil day and there orc
we arc not du impre ssed By the thought.
But fourscorc years are soon cut OIL, and
we fee away ; AMI h6w uncertain Is our
reaching that lonely verge OF HE. where
the aowcry mca lows and the golden corn
fields close gradually down into the bare
and stony beach that fringcs the eternal
sea. The coast Of death 10 most Is al
abrupt prec picc we are cut OF III the
midst Of our DAYS. 4 thousand nutor-
sen foes. fatal to life. line our path on
either side, and we have to run the guant-
let daily between them. We began tc
die the moment we began to live. Oar
YER, life itself is nothing else but. su,-
cession Of dying and every day and ev-
.ry hour. is the change within and with
out which We experience, wears away
mart of it. Should we not initiate, there
fore, the example of the leaf. IN which is
the process of decay Should we not
seek the daily. Lifelong preparation for
the final, the inevitable consumatiou OF
our daily, lifelong death : Should We
not so count our days that We may spply
our hears to heavenly wisdom of know.
ing, and loving. and serving Him who
.loue can redeem our poor perishins lie
frou,i,s vanity aud change it into glory
and blessedness of a lie hid with ChElsI
IN Ged. Apart from Him the indusT,
~ lifetime is but elaborate trifling, ''tht
costly cmbsoidcriug of a shroui. uul-
Ted to Him our LABOR, is not vain IN the
pord. our works shall endure and follow
us. Every leaf on the tree OF humanity
must fade, but if We are grated by nv
ing faith in HIM whose name is th'
branch" His own gracious promise Be