Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-09-17
THE sN.SCRIPT
OFFICIAL PAPER OF THE COUNTY,
The Robin's Sermon.

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l. It was autumn. A faint tinge Of red
was just creeping over the trees; on the
grey rock which rose up straight and tall
son, aud brown, and yellow, mixed With
the deep dark green of the ivy. Not
that the autum had any hand in painting
these they had been there for hundred
years, summer and winter, all the same.
doubt if they had ever been young,
those lichen stains-I doubt If they
would ever grow old because lichens
don't grow as you or do. .+
The Rock did not frown; it did not
hang over; it only stood there as proud
and stiff as if it had never bent its back 4
bit, and never meant to do it either. But
it managed somehow to look down ut
the fading leaves below, and ut the river
at Its base rushing on, not one drop the
same As yesterday, away, away, to the
far.of sea, with sort OF sorrowful CON-
passion for things so different from it,
self.
"What ages have stood here" it said,
land yet l don't change as they do; am
firm and solid, without Il minding of de-
Nobody answered; it was all silent, OK.
cept the gurgling Of the river, and that
seemed only part Of the stiffness.
However, what should spring up but a
little Robin! pert, jaunty- looking Rob-
in aud he stuck his head on one side
and began to sing just as ifhc was among
his equals down in the wood or shrubbcry
instead OF in the presence Of this stern
and ancient and most respectable old
rock.
BE quiet Robin" said the Rock, ~you
disturb my meditations-you young up
start, creature here today and gone to-
morrow, and yet you presume to sing one
Of your idle, frivolous songs before me.
1t is most uniting, and beg you will
BECOME"
The Robin was silent minute, with a
thoughtful look in his eye; but robins
arc not easily abashed, and can't fancy
one, left without word 10 say for himself,
can you? So he very soon began again.
II did not mean to interfere with you,
am sure; but it seemed so grim and
solume up there thought, may be you
would like Il little something cheerful
And besides, the world is made up of
small things as we'll as great ones; and /
suppose there's room in it for robbins as
well as rocks
'Of course there is" returned the rock,
THAT'S just what l say; and so as there's
plenty of space you need not come here
right under nc. Be off and mind your
Own business"
~!Aad that's just what I am doing"
said the Robin. "1don't cover so much
ground as you do, certainly; but then,
though my place is small, I've got to fill
it all the same, just as much as you have,
And I've got my business, and my own
Il H.
will
1T must be very important, remarked
the Rock with an air IT contempt upon
its cold grey face.
1T u.s." replied the Robin gravely- Il
nave an autumn sermon to preach, and
preach it must: l have my autumn song
to sing, and nobody else knows the tune
The river there is singing something, but
1t is its OWE song, and not mine; and the
wood-pigeon is cooling up there, but it
does not say what l say. l am telling
you that the leaves are falling, the flow
ers are fading, the summer is passing,
and though it Is rather melancholy
don't Genp that, yet it is not death-it is
only change. Nothing goes back in this
world, it is all going forward, it will all
come again brighter than before. The
Ae"'~9 l"A w" sANJ WY AAsAnO lE0 oOAA
richer for the next years flowers. The
liver hurries to the sea; but the moisture
returns in drops Of dew upon the dry and
thirsty earth. Even from you, unchang-
ing as you think yourself, old Rock, the
little fragments fall aud form bed for
the green moses and waving ferns.
Spring rises out Of autum, life springs
from what looks like DEATH
"And this is my autumn sermon which
! lave to PREACH" continued the Robin,
feeling rather as if it had been talking
too long, and must bring matters to a
ha>ty conclusion, 1.-THE skies may be dark
but hope, wait, trust, look forward and
look upward
And the little ROBIN having done its
preaching hoped down ut nay feet, as /
sat on the hillside and picked up some
crumbs. He did it three times over, and
the third time YVES in such a hurry he
left one of the pretty feathers Of his breast
behind him. 1picked 1t up, put it in
my pocket-book as q remembrance of
him and his message, and then walked
home.