The Home advocate. (Farmerville, La.) 1885-1???, 1885-11-13
THE AUTUMN.
by Miss Mary. T. Collins.

| tlu1c llnteu lrcSS. lncSe RAINBOW
cOlors were once of the deep, ricl
green, which is only born in tn,
spring time, but which, alas IL!
everything else, must yield t,
change and decay The world now
seems to be versing on old age
The sun itselis seems to have grow
dccrepit, and every morning he
arises later and later from his bed
The youthful vigor he possessed in
the spring and the ardor Of his sum
mer career have abatc,l, and the
face of nature, in spite of its gaudy
dress, seems rs if saddened by the
thought that it is passing Oh to the
drcary winter. The harvest fields
are silent, and the trees, as they
bow beneath their wei ght of fruit.
plainly tell us thar the summers
work is over. And how beautifully
suggestive is the finished work of
departing season. Suggestive of
a finished life with Il work we'll
done. How many ricl, fcasts have
the now brown fields afforded, and
how many tempting rcpasts have
the bare trees supplied. And how
many of the guests of these feasts
may rest unler the green turf ere
they bloom and their fruits again
be ripened by the autumn sun.
But the pleasant excursions into
the woods for nuts are now in order,
aud many voices echo through the
forests as nimbie feet stir the
brown leaves which already cover
the woodland path. Aud us We
reach some secluded spot where
human feet seldom tread, aud seat
ed for Il rest under some noble oak.
and perhaps by sparkling stream,
what visions rise up before us. AS
VIC raise our eyes to look upon the
the lofty height aud spreading
branches of the tree under which
We rest, and, as We note its gigau.
tic dimensio MS, We at once venerate
it as We think of its possible age
and Of the many storms under
which it's top has swayed. A web
of romance seems to surround it
when we imagine that perhaps
some Indian chief has in past ages
recliued under it, hidden almost in
the wrcaths of smoke blown from
his pipe, :Is he mcditated on the
chase for game or for human be-
ings, as the case might be. And
a thrill of horror seems to creep
over us as WI imagine we see the
limpid stream colored with the
blood Of some hapless victim who
fell a prey to his cruelty. And on
the other hand, a kind Of poo TIC
imagery seems to till the mind;
such as is only born where nature
still reigns in her primeval gran
deur. Our dreamy fancy is carried
back to the time when the ancient
instructors carried their pupils un-
der the shade Of some noble tree,
Or where the heather priests per.
formed their mystic rites under
The boughs Of some towering oak.
The cedars of Lebanon, too, seem
almost to wave before our encllan-
ed Imagination. Aud as We EN-
erge from our resting place and
sgain look over the open fields
vhat beautiful scenes and in what
do they appear to those
n the forest. Yonder is a clump
# bushes, some Of which seem to
year wine-dyed robe, while 9th
IT'S blaze in the sunlight as if,
in the gold Of Ophir or
he topaz of Ethiopia, while some,
till retain the ir emerald hue.
And there. too, waves the ever
,reen, that emblem of constantcy
which changes not under the !,
uth)ess hand of winter. In the 4
lir before us floats the dandelion