Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-31
w tteu for the Free Press and


ference between the gay pageant ola we'd
ding and the sad cortege Of a funeral, between
the pomp Of triumph and the gloom ola de
feat, between the blithcsome L'AHgro and
the melancholy 4 Pnseroso, Of Milton.
These sharp contrasts are not inyidious
comparisons or sounding an;itheses ME
nctual facts are as much stronger than our
weak analogies, our feeble fancy and ne
tons Of speech, a. truth Is always stranger
and finer than our widest flights of imagIn-
alton. which j. bat another way Of saving
that lie who designed and created the world
bIiit better than we can express or conceive.
With Tall sense of my responsibility, !
AFFIRM that Vermont autumn away up
among the Arcadian valleys Of the Green
Mountains. where they raise those famous
Morgans and Merinos, and manufacture
That golden butter and that delicious sweet
which excels tie hives of Hymettus, j.
not only a wonder, bat the chief wonder
tho most splendid and impressive sight
ul the whole world, when seen in the
height Of it, glorious perfection.
Tie festive splcud1r-, the more than royal
magnifcence Of Nature then and there, Is
something too maryellou-iy beautiful for
one 10 understand by a description in words
or TO believe by any cInningly-drawn out
lines in oil color~. Some time ago, before
| had the pleasure of seeing Vermont, |
was invited to the studio of an artist in
Western city to look at a painting ola
Vermont autumn Ii 50 far surpassed any
thing | had ever conceived or dreamed as
"a possible to landscape Of earth, OF
Heaven itself, in the startling bright
ness of hues and tints that fairly
flashed and famed on the foliage of
its abundant woods, it transiixed me with
astonishment, and was surprised into
making some reflections upon the sin of
lying in colors. that would doubles, have
brought the house down If they lad reach
ell the artists ears. Bot when, not long
after, pitched my tent on the very spot
where the sketch was taken. felt very sorry
for my ha>ty remarks, and | must in
Justice to the grand scene, say that felt
very sorry for the painter, and for any
other, also. that may follow him on that
ground The divine original made the
copy appear shockingly feeble, unspeak-
ably inferior in the oyerawing presence of
the amazing reality. Europeans once re
fused to credit the reports concerning
tie brilliant spectacle of New England
autumnS They read our letters with a grim
smile and they said "Munchauscn' with
the falling inhectiop) to all the beautiful
autumn pictures we sent them on
canvas. Perhaps we ought not to blame
the 50 much, since there j, 50 little in the
scenery OF any Of their seasons to suggest a
thou ght Of the more than Arabian Nights
wonders that Autumn magic wand pro-
duces here. Autumn there is a minor key in
their music-a dark thread running through
the wooi and webof their poetry. Autumn
comes upon their fields with the signing Of
a burial dirge-a pestilence that was;eth at
noon-day-a blasting mildew, bianching
eve-y green thing with sudden, unsightly
death. Ia New England, on the contrary,
autumn i 50 excessively beautiful, we call
it the blossoming of the year, and bail it
with an unfeigucd ecstacy Of welcome.
Thoreau, the priest-poet of nature, spent
twenty years in word-painting Just few of
its wondrous leaves and separate trees that
grew struggling along the borders of the
grand whole; we don't know that he ever
saw or heard Of the seventh heaven Of au-
tumna. beauty and glory in the maple
groves OF Vermont.
To get the highest effect upon foliage, the
most superb autumnal views, requires an
abundance of graceful, queenly maple-the |
pure, genuine r5ck-maple. whose delicate /
white veins and arteries flow with nectar. |
And there must be lon g-lnked orchards /
and forests of them, set on mountain slopes. /
with an intermixture and background of
eyergreens and yerdant pastures, and "a
diant skies oyerarchng all. These are the
prime elements and conditions which make
n Vermont autumn the wonderful scene it
Is, ami the crowuing glory of the whole
world of visible nature.
The Vermont year marches out with
more royal pomp than ever waited on
its >prng or summer Travellers tell
~ OF nothing 10 match the splendors
of Vermont autumn They talk of
Italian skies, tie yine-clai hills of France
and tropical luXuriance; bat there are
shadows in the comparison. They tell us
al the Arabian Palm. the Cedars of Leb-
anon, the Ngu0iG GlCGufta OF California
bat 40 tree tuat grows. from the equator
60 the poles, viii we with that gift Of the
god IL mantle hard maple of our North
rru iaiitaor> IN producing not only the
hto>t luscious, delicious Of all sweets. but
100 producing the most Overwhelmingly rich
and rare and varied colors \ single tree
oi thu kind, scattered here and there in
tarruw htit halfway across the Amer
ran continent, l. as marked and conspic-
uur- iu IT. season As some vagrant foreign
bird OF brilliant plumage. Imagine if Won
can, what the effect must be when such
gorgeous trees are masscd and MARSHAL
led together in great as~emblages of
Thousands and millions on mountain
plateauS and terraces, all dressed in
purple and gold, Haunting their rich
robes and scGris Of vermilion and
Tyrian dies, and the sun still pouring down
mOulten caldruus of auriierOus light and
lustre upon them.
The little imitation solar spectrum of
Professor Iyndal wrought a b-eathles-
silence and sensation IN his audiences
hut iOOk-along those mountain sides are
hues a. rich and colOrS a. intense real
solar spectrum-, and vast. spreading ONT in
wide folds on both sides, and ascending nm
TO lofty crcSts and peaks stretching away
before You for miles and miles We're ever
such ie,tocnlng and garlanGing-such BRIGHT
flags waving and banners flying, this Side
the celestial walls? Why. the mighty
hills have turned to colossal bouquets.
and chapiets IF glory eucircle their
br0ws. ard underneath the trees
the earth d carpeted a. Fever ual,re
floor WAS with Brussels or Persian ulnsl
The miracle ui the " Burning Bush " is ~
peated al frequent intervals. and the whale
scene g'"ws a. though p,rvaded and lit an bv
some ns-i,r'uu~ fire. Walking here We need
nu Voice tu proclaim In our ears that wear,
t'al'ng allowed ground
Ard c.,u tins De DEATH IL Is translation
+ iiaf departing with chariot and horses oc
he Dyaih? IL l. being gathered into
the SHINING bundle OF liie, the couquerinp
heru, ihe victorious warrior wrapped IN his
emhiaz0uod mantle for -hr-ud Ii is the
passing from glory 20 slry"
1t Is easy enough 1, make ale ylorinus
t2e WIRING planets, the restless ocpan. the
upsprlnglns vegetation. the hlo-saming Of
pants bat 10 arrest the movement. 10
stop the beating pulse and preserve the
glory, aye, Increase the glory. who is sniff
eient for this?
IL Is easy enough TO be gloliuas in youtb.
with the zeal Of heaven On the face and
iolm, ana The iervors Of warm blood in the
heart-easy enough in manhood win The
vigor Of ambition nervins Us 10 asnirstio 'n
ana endeayorS bat. bat 10 carry All ms
beauty OF ann, Impulse and effort forward
and 70 moreover add diadem Of stars. and
Q fresh halo OF efulgence to their olory ~
old age! A Vermont autumn teach -, -
that lesson OF liie--teaches You that the An
thor OF nature puts His best glory mar nv,
the beginning or the middle, but on the end
OF q thing teaches us that all below that Is
accidental or contingent, this glory If tho
end, this GROWING beauty and splendor of of
the hnai end, is an inherent principles