Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-10-20
The Blaze on the Hearth.

Our Bryant sings of the melancholy days
OF the last autumn-the November days OF
"wailing winds. and naked woods, and
meadows brown and sere 1" but some poet
should also sing of the melancholy days Of
early autumn, when, after the summer days
have gone come the sadness of deserted pi-
azzas, the dreariness Of abandoned lawns and
summer walks, the loneliness Of shut win
dows. and the dismal household hush and
emptiness that ever intervene between the
early chill of autumn aud the time for glow
ing fresides. This interegnum is not al
ways dreary out Of doors; the watering
places, il is true, look disinal-the roads
have lost their gaiety, the seaside and the
lake-shore are often silent and solemn enough,
but still out of doors all during September
and October is, as everybody knows, very
deightful it is, therefore, only the house,
and the house after sunset, that becomes at
this season peculiarly dreary. The air is too
chilly for the piazza or for open windows;
and this first shutting of summer soitness
and sweetness out Of the house, tins retreat
before the first chilling breath OF autumn,
casts a gloom over the household. Every
body wanders about listless and restless,
The rooms have a shadowy, gray, repellent
look. There is no cheer and no brightness
anywhere the gas looks raw and intrusive,
coming after the soft, romantic summer
moonlghts upon the piazza the social cir
Gle, so long nightly formed in ample chairs
with fiuttering fans, with cooling drinks,
with long, pleasant chats, is broken up; a
gathering under the chandelier is not to be
tolerated, and there is no other sufficiently
attractive point whore the restless spirits can
assemble If there are young lovers under
the roof, they sit apart in a half chill there
is no inspiration and no sweetness in the
metallic glitter of gas. The men tind
measure OF compensation in their cigars, OF
which they smoke an unusual number.
Some OF them even, in sheer desperation
hurry to the billiard room but the ladies
can do nothing but struggle YEARLY, with
such murnurs of gossip and talk as the half.
torpid spirit can keep alive. There is no
life, no relish, no spirit, no comfort, no
felicity of any kind, in this truly mean-
choly and dreary period.
That Is, usually there is not. But occa-
sionaly one may find bold spirit that
knows how to confront the evil aud to mas
ter it, There is a certain subtle, strange,
merry sprite, that may on these occasions
be successfully invoked, and whose appear
ance is sure to dissipate the gloom and the
chill, and to bring all the scattered mem
bers of the household once more into gay
and happy circle The sprite is a now too
much neglected household familiar but he
is known everywhere as the Blaze ON the
Hearth. There is no reason why we should
keen this excellent genius of good cheer In
bauishment until the winter winds compel
his appearance. He is as competent to cheer
our hearts on a cool September night as IN
4 December snOw-storm. rh6re is wonder
| full brightness, and glow, and sparkle, and
exultatiou in his companionship aud never
more warmth than we choose TO permit
/ Even a few swapping twies on the old aud
| irons are sufficient to show us the imp
/ in his happy moods, TO scatter the dull
| cloud that rests upon our rooms and
| Ia our hearts, and t. awaken a hundred
/ pleasurable sensations. All these benighted
/ roof-trees that harbor no hesrthstone, nc
| fireplace where the delightful sprite may
| disport himself, are to be greatly pitied in
/ deed for these households there is no rem
edy VS. eau suggest for the melancholy dag
all their days, Indeed. are in melancholy
and cloud but wherever the hearthstona il
still cherished for all its deligts and associ
ations, let the blaze be lighted at once, ant
see how quickly it will transform gloom int
brightness and charm.
And there is reason other than that ol
good cheer why it is well to invoke thi
sprite with the coming of the first chill airs
Health is promoted thereby The blaze Is
deadly enemy to damp, and ague, and fever
1t gives sweetness and purity to the atmos
phere; it kills miasma aud the poisons tina
the air sucks up with the beginning of tn
decay of vegetation There is no bette
preventative Of sickness at this season thai
a good wood-fre. 1t would be well il on
could be lighted in every room; II this is i'm
practicable, the living room, at least, ough
to be made bright, cheerful, warm, dry am
healthful, by the magic of blaze on tn
hearth.-APPieion's Journal