Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-07-29
Essay.
Read at tn Examination of Beech
Grove College, Coffee county,
Tenn. Written by Miss Nis-
Ia Harp, Fayetteville,
Tennessee.
TAREIVET r

Nature with all her sweet mu-
sic which gIaddens the soul and
cheers the heart, has still a sad
note murmuring through her
sweetest tones, still one string
in her harp which sends forth a
plaintive wall, and the saddest
song which her HOlian harp
breaths forth is always a fare
well. Spring comes and with
dainty fingers lays aside the
snowy robe which covers the
earth like a winding sheet, and
clothes it in mantle Of emer-
aid green decked with flowers
and gcmmed with dew, still the
last balmy breeze bearing on its
wings the odor Of a thousand
flowers, whispers in our ear that
all this beauty will not last, that
ere many days spring will sing
us a farewell song.
Summer comes on apacc with
far more gorgeous beauty than
spring. She decks the earth
with lavish hand but her beau
ty too is transient, her key note
is a farewell.
Autumn then comes,and with
bushes dipped in the richest
close form Of the earth, one vast
picture Of brown and crimson,
and gold heap with luscious
fruits like festal board, but
soon the sounds Of signing winds
and dripping rain breathes in
our ears the most mOurnful fare
well of the year, a farewell which
sounds like the dirge of all that
is fair and lovely. Thus it is
ever with nature, wheth her she
wears the emerald robe Of spring,
the darkest green Of summer,
OF sits crowned a radiant queen
of the festal board Of Autumn.
Still one chord in her harp quiy-
ers with a sad farewell. And
not only is it thus in nature,
but in our own lives, and in the
lives of those around us, there
is always the thought Of some
coming farewell, to sadden the
deepest joy. The youth as he
comes to manhood looks eagerly
forward to the hour when he can
gird on his armor and go forth
into the world to fight the bat
tie of life and come off victor
in the strife; but the hour comes
for him to go forth and try his
strength, and in the flush Of his
Joy there comes the saddening
thought that he must bid fare
we'll to all he holds dear to him
on earth. The father who has
been his counsellor through life
thus far with many words Of
advice bids him farewell, and
prays that God may speed him
on his way;. and the mother at
whose side he has knelt in child
hoods happy hours in prayer,
may weep bitter tears over her
departing boy, for well she
knows he is going forth into the
world where temptation will a.
rise on every side, and where no
loving mother will warn him Of
his danger, but instead, the temp
ter's voice will lure him on into
deeper ruin, and her farewell
words are to him a prayer, that
he may remember his mother
and his God.
No matter where he may roam
in after years, whether he wan
ders amid the glittering icefields
of the frozen sea, or where the
alpine SHOWS flush red in the
setting sun, or where the south
.ern cross CLEANS bright from the
tropic skies, still the farewell
of his kind father, and loving,
gentle mother are treasured up
in his heart, and are the tails
man that preserve him from
temptation. Thus it has been
ever since our first parents were
driven exiles from the bliss
haunted flowers Of Eden, that
sweetest music of life is sad
dened by the farewell note that
sounds through it's deepest joy.
The happy meeting clouded by
the thought of the parting that
must follow; yes, thus it has ev-
er been, and thus it will ever
be until we anchor our frail
boats on that blessed shore;
still the saddest parting of all
is, that which the noiseless, yet
swift-footed messenger death,
comes when he enters the house
hold band, and steals from it
one of its most cherished ones;
sometimes it marks for its vic