Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-10-24
AN AUTUMN IDYL.
BIZ J. ALLEN COOKIES.

Apart from all the world, and dreamed away
The long October hours.
4 No human voice was waited TO nv ear
! No sound ofhuman footsteps drawing near
Silence profound
Reigned all my world around.
The withered flowers,
, That bloomed in summer days, ne longer gaye
Their fragrance to the air
And fields where late meath oaorous winds did wav,
The growing grain, we're brown. and sere. and bare
Clouds. cold and gray
Passed slowly DER the hiIltops far away;
And in it's hues Of crimson and Of gold
The maple on the hillside signing stood
| Moaning the dying year.
And softly to my dreaming, listening ear
| voice from cut the shadows OF the wood
Came with its plant. q The year is growing old.n
listened but the voice no more heard,
But signs came borne upon the Autumn breeze
Which through the slender branches DER mo stirred
And cast dead leaves from of the aving trees
| In showers Of gold and brown;
| And falling SOFTLY down
With gatherings faint they lay az length at rost
Beside their fellows the damp earth's br east
Ali soon, thought 1, these brilliant hues shall fad
The earth shall claim its own:
Back into crnmbling dust each leaf, each blade
OF grass shall yield itself-a far-off moan,
The earth shall claim its own;
Not these alone
Are hers. Beneath the sky
Naught lives but soon within the dust shall lie.
The massive walls of temples towering high,
The crumbling monuments Of buried pride,
Are tombstones Of dead nations who have toiled
And wrought--whe Time despoiled-
To mark the spot where they have lived aud died.
The year that brings dread Death with a its train
Must cen itself bow to the conqueror's power.
The world is wide, but grief and death and pain
Abide therein to blight each blooming flower.
Yes. life itself is but fleeing breath,
And everything must die but Death.
Spring, with its nursing airs its robes of green,
Its wealth of baimy days and sunny hours.
Filled with the sweet excess of youthful fircs
Sinks in the lap OF Summer and expires.
Changed is the scene,
And Springs fair tomb is decked with summer flowers
But Summer, too, must de-
The rosy blush that greeted US has passed,
The fire has faded from the glowing eye,
And AutumL's mantle DER her form is cast
The flowers she loved SO well have lost their hue,
The fruits, that learned to blush beneath her gaze
Still cling to bending boughs where late they grew
And deeper blush in golden Autumn haze.
And this must pass. The year is growing old
The fallen leaves in mournful silence lie
Where Autumn spreads her mantle fold on fold
And wrapped in golden robes lies down to die.
The husbandIaan, for days of weary toll,
Stores from the press Iife's richest wine and oil,
And gathers in the wealth of ripened grain
That Autumn brings to earth. All not in vain
Has been the mission OF the waning years
Though dark and drear
The clouds hang DER us in the bending sky,
Though we may part, with many falling tear,
With many sigh and many fond caress
with Earths fair forms, that all too must die,
Their works shall live to comfort and to bless
All, yes the year is growing old.
The pure white robes OF Winter shall hold
The dying form within their close embrace
And kiss the death dew from the sweet. pure face.
Yes, soon the fair short life shall pass away
And in its stead another form shall rise.
And Nature wake again to gladstone day,
And sweetly smile through peaceful vernal skies.
But to the year that's gone thoughts shall cling
And memory pay the tribute Of tear.
When in our hearts low voices softly sing
The fond remembrance of this Golden Year
All things must die: proud mortal man must fall:
Ayei sink as sinksthe Autumn leaves to earth,
Where q DDS fair forms of life shall mingle all.
Back in the mother dust that gave them birth.
A human lifei What is a human life
But one short year among thousand years
Perhaps year of toll and pain. and strife,
Darkened by clouds surcnarged with grief and tears
Or yet perchance year whose course has
Smoothly and calmly to peaceful close;
Whose youthlike spring. warmed by unclouded sun.
Has walked to life the lily and the rose.
Whose manhood's summer tide has brought to earth
Maturer forms of beauty and of love.
And by pure deeds soul has warmed to birth,
Bright as the peaceful skies that bend above
Whose Autumn brings to man a harvest rare
OF choicest fruits and wealth OF richest wine,
Culled by the toiiers hand With patient care
From golden orchard and emYurpled vine.
To such the fear of death shall have no pain
When fe's short their swift race have rum
And brought host OF blessings in their train
Fruits of life work that was nobly done.
And when the frosts of Winter wreath with gray
The wrinkled brow of him the world holds dear,
With sweet content his soul shall pass away,
Pure as the robes that wrap the dying year.
SO let us live. IT'S given us TO know
A grander life. Bright beams the guiding star
T0 light purer world for man below,
And angel hands have left the gates ajar.
IT'S to enter in; the all the earth
Shall be at peace and wars no shall rage;
Nations shall hold high festival and hail the BIRTH
The glorious advent of the Golden Gge.
ar.