Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-12-20
Aniumnal Thoughts.

The sadness Of the dying year is not OBJ
trusive. II is not the howl of an undiscip-
lined, or the scream of surprised sufferer.
The year moves with languid step and a
torn robe but the manner is self-contaiued,
and the motion full Of dignity. But though
unobtrusive in its sadness. the old year
which will not stop 20 say, | am dying"
and braves it out with gay color and stately
manners, is still a very sad spectacle. The
trees will look brave through all but how
sad their black trunks, the dead leaves lying
around them, and sharp winds whistling
where once the birds were singing. IL seems
as though nature were being swept away
each day there is less Of the visible world to
see. Last nights gale aud frost seem TO
have made vast rents IN the material world.
so much has gone from the eye in the green
blade and the golden leaf. If it were our
first experience, we should say, 1t will soon
be blown away, aud be known no more for
ever" While the winds are tearing the
worlds robe to tatters, and the frosts are
stripping of the ornaments, and a mourntul
look steals over the great face that was so
full of Joyous vitality in summer, it is i'm
possible 10 resist a sense of sorrowiul sym
pathy with the spectacle. If we had never
gone through a winter, we should witness
The scene with the awe Of great catastrophe,
and the solemn fear OF an approaching dis
solution Of all things. Experience corrects
our eyes, subdues our rising, instructive fears,
and leads Us gently through the frost to sun
and verdurc. What else do we who fade as
a leaf lack TO fit MS to face our own wither-
ing with an equal composure Experience
is denied us the analogies are good up to
this point-our spring lies out Of sight, as
all realities do, and we who are passing
through nature 10 eternity" must, while we
are a spectacle TO angels, forego the vision
Of our human Transformation until each for
himself puts on Immortality. If, however,
we only had the vision of the cloud of wit
nesses," if we could see ourselves in the mir
ror of the heavenly, We should observe no
more surprising change, a no less veritable
preservation, not less beautiful renewal OF
our life We are Gods bnilding," as the
forests are we are temples of the Holy
Ghost" as nothing visible is or can be; we
must also die before our quickening, and
still phantoms take the room Of our active
forms but in world where, strictly speak
ing, there is no waste, and the small dust j.
kept as surely as sun or star, what but a
timorousness springiug from intense love of
life. could distrust the great Economist and
treinble lest our personality should not be
boarded as scrupulously as the small dust
and the blazing star In all the apparent
prodigality Of the Master Of nature, we sus-
pect no recklessness. no wastefulness of any
! thing but personal life. We call atoms and
/ forces immortal. We know that not one OF
them falls out Of the hollow Of His hand
and vet we are fools Of nature in such
sort that We suspect God of spilling all the
precious contents OF Ills earthen vessels,
while lie keeps the vessels forever. lie
pours, We fear, the wine OF the world iuto
1 the gulf Of annihilation, but faithfully treas
ures the poor cups that contained the wine
| Thoughtful, prescient, misery, with dust
! and ashes, lie is suspected of prodigal s
wastefulness in handling whatever is most
/ precious aud beautiful 1t cannot be. The
assumption is gratuitous. The spring OF
| human life is as real as the spring OF the
earth that is moaning around us. God keeps
personal life as surely as He keeps the smal
dust There is no philosophy; there is nc
reason in doubt concerning that building
of God, eternal in the heavens" whicl
awaits our trembling souls.-hethodist.