Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-12-04
IEdlan Summer.
WHAT THE CAUSE OF TT IS.

Although every season o. the year
has lis charms for him who contemplates
nature with the mind Of sage and the
piety of a believer in experimenting
Providence, yet there are periods when
subjects for admiration q I'd thought are
more numerous and striking than at
others. Tine flowers Of spring, the gold
en- harvest OF summer, the rpening fruits
of autumn, and even the tntless snow
Of winter, by their beauty. variety and
adaplion to the wants Of animated ma
ture. afford much that calls for patient
investigation and rcyerential gratitude.
But none Of them spreads before us a
greater number Of charms or a richer
display Of beauty than that part OF au-
tumn which is called Indian summer.
The forests, ere they lay aside their
leafy covering, vie with the rainbow in
the beauty Of their dyes, while the deep
azure ofthe sky, the mellow sunlight
aud the balmy air lend their aid to
make this the loyellest part OF the year.
But while enjoying the mildness and
S renity Of Iudan summer the question
ar.ses, TO what IS it owing and why are
these varied cvlors in an American
landscape. and this equatorial warmth
tempered by Arctic breeze unknown IN
Europe and other portions Of the East
ern Continent: 1t has been observed
that Indian summer never commences
until severe frosts have caused the
leaves either to tall from the trees or
become l.felesS AMI vegetation IN
general to cease The decaylng yeriureg
not only grows dry and warm, and thus
imparts an additional amount Of heat to
The atmosphere, but il likewise dihuses
ununerable PARTICLES through the air,
which acquire a high temperature.
These. By partially decomposIns the
ravs Of li,ht. cause the sky te resume a
deeper blue and distant objects to ap-
pear as If viewed through intervening
smoke. A. IS well known, the red rays
are tho least relsan-ible. or are caused
10 vary less from "A direct course when
a ray ef white lights decomposed by
passing through a medium. Hence the
reason why arld light or red signal
can be seen at a greater distance than
any other. Railway operators avail
themselves ofth.s by using red signal
as sign Of dan ger, not. as many sup
pose. because its the color Of blood.
Owing to the red ray being the stronger
and reaching the eye when the other
rays do not, during Indian summer the
sun towards evening presents red ap'
pearance anl seems ike globe Of fire
descending in the western sky. The
greater moslure Of many portions Of
Europe prevents the same effect from
being produced By decaying vegetation
there that occurs in America, and tits,
therefore, not surprising that foreigners
are enraptured by the beauty and lowell
ness Of our Indian summer.
As our coultry is dcnalcl more and
more ofits forests the Indian summer
becomes shorter and less distinctive,
since the leaves Of the trees, by reason
Of their exposed posilion,are more high
" heated than those vegetable prodOc.
tions which are near the surface Of the
earth. Indian summer, though source
OF pleasure ana delight to many. IS ilI
otherwise 10 those afflicted with diseas-
es OF the lungs. as the amount Of fne-
Ily.digid,d matter di1'uscd through TIC
! a,mosmospaere aggrayalcs the disease
The name Indian summer is said tC
have been given by those Europeans
who first made the western wilderness
their home. because the hostile Indian:
usually took advantages Of this period
of m.ll weather to make their attacks
on the settlements. Ifso, what is nov
welcomed with pleasure they behe!l
with dread.