Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-08-08
For the VERMONT FARMER.
FRESH LEAVES.

The dandelions, that shone like little tufts
Of gold among the rich green grass, have
changed into floating crests of white down,
and caraway blossoms, buttercups and roses
have come in their stead yes, and straw
berries, too The grass is taller, the foliage
upon the trees and shrubbery heavier, and
among the branches and boughs the birds
have been having jubilee all day. Robin
still keeps up his chirrup, chir-rup, now in
the hushed sunlight of eventide. The trees,
how well do remember far back in my
childhood the day when the hired man,
John, set out those maple trees down the
sides of the lane, and along the garden-way !
How thin and lone and inferior they looked
then, just setting up to be somebody in the
line of shade and ornamental trees! Now
how tall, and large, and sheltering, strong
and faithful and bravel To-day the wind
has been stirring their branches all the time,
and whistling with their leaves. Some
would say the trees have been "sobbing; "
l do not The sunlight shines upon them
and me, and Natures voices are always in
harmony with the heart-strings of the soul
A few miles south lies range Of the
Green Mountains. Their heads have lower.
ed, like kneeling since first l remem-
ber them,--or have grown taller.
At the right is gem Of pond. We call ii
the Echo, because ithas a succession of echoes.
l wish you could see it. H. L. @. could
paint it, and E. G. b. write poesy about it
Many different phases it has, yet do moi
call it deceptive. No two days alike, yet l
do not believe it troubled with idiosyncrasy
To-day it is covered with rufile of waves
yesterday it was the loveiest mirror, trans
parent as glass, rejecting the foliage at its
brink, and on its surface shadows were at
play with sunshine; tomorrow it may be
tenderest blue, or perhaps black with vino
and dotted with foamy caps; and next, ka
leidoscope of all those forms, with fishing
boats and white sails heaving out and in.
In the city there is much to enjoy, ap
preciate and admire, and ] have sometime,
almost felt like kneeling at the shrine o
art, magni6cence, genius, and culture, Ou
everything has such ,oorldly ebb and flow
Better to get out among the sunbeams o
heaven, aud study the ideas of God in tn
birds and leaves, the mountains and rivers
the vapors and clouds,-all Of which ar
connected in the cycle of one created world
aud each necessity invested with beaut
and charm.
In the Creators works we find style tina
F is perfect, taste that is faultless, and adapta
tion immaculate. On the foliage and flow
ers we see the hues, shadows, and coors tina
God has painted, the shapes, sizes, and form
that he has appropriated, and the causes ad
justed which individualize materia in perfec
tion,--only the thrce-pointed leaf for tn
maple, with its identical green; roses wit
whorls of petals and serrated leaves an
chaliced bells
We might conceive OF purple verhenai
honeysuckles trailing in the waters edge, an
dafodils with the leaves of the peony, but il
doing so we should be out of the line of tn
infinite plan, harmony, and necessity. Flow
ers with jagged, balfformed petals tell tina
the plant has been neglected until its Origini
, beauty has become defaced. Cereals an
grasses that are imperfect are evidences c
slight, disease, Or some animate destroyer
And physical defects and moral deformitie
, remind us that we too need culture, and al
, out of the line Of Gods original design, an
, if we would take steps heavenward, towarC
a perfect humanity among the glOrifed, "
must walk in the sunlight Of the Spirit
= Truth. N. L. d.
q East Charleston, w.