Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-02
OCTOBER.

1t has Come, but Only to Linger Tenn
porarily---some of its General Fea-
lures and What in Particular it VIII
Bring this Year.
September, the first month of autumn,
stepped down and out Sunday night as
the big bell in the great tower OF the ar
senal building on the point of the island
toled an even dozen. 1t was precisely
one hour after tn at same clock had struck
eleven times and the pealing first named
above marked the advent of the success
sion of October. Not yet have the |
leaves begun to turn. nor the winds TO |
gather the touch of that premonitory chill |
which marks their autumnal character |
a little later on in the season; only the |
turning sumach, blood red in the autumn
sun, like the intense cardinal flower
by the pasture brook. has dyed its BAN
ners in advance. 1t is the forerunner of
the coming host of fame bearers, whose
splendid procession celebrates the advent
of October.
No word is oftener used, and none is
more misused, in relation to summary
scenes and effects, than the adjective
golden" Its effect in print, has been
made almost as meaningless, by this in
discriminate use, as that of the word
"beautiful''-for which the feminine
equivalent is lovely" But to Septem-
Der, and more particularly to that part of
it which lapses so gently away before the
occurrence of the autumnal equinox, this
adjective, golden, does indeed properly
apply. 1t is the years golden rest, when
natures forces, pausing, after the intense
summer heat and glow, seem 10 rest
even as the balance rests, in the seventh
sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters
in September. 1t is bland, placid,
pleasant month; stiller, perhaps, as to its
aerial motions, than almost any other of
the twelve, albeit its name is so porten-
tiously associated with September
gales
These occur, if at all, late in the
montb-at or nearer the time of the au-
tumnal equinox; as often after the arrival
at that cardinal astronomical point as
otherwlse-aud in reality there is no GER
tsinty of even the 'eauinoctisl storm. -
1t almost as often fails entirely as other
wise. 1t is less certain here than hurri-
canes are, at this turning season, among
the islands of the West Indies. But the
equinox is apt to be marked by 3 weather
change for about that time, here, the early
frost is looked for; the sunset cloud takes
on a more darker, more solid aspect; the
days become refreshingly cool and pleas,
ant, There is by that time a b-acing
character to the all, a tonic quality, which
D rouses even the lazy, and brings every.
body into line with the crisp, brisk activ.
D tiles of daily life and affairs, A new
pulse of life beats in business, and i:
. seen in the livelier step and action.
But the season we are passing out Of
0 has not been "hot summer" 1t has
been cool and comfortable one beyond
J any of Its modern predecessors, probably
Q since 1915. But it has ripened the har,
0 vest, and served its saving ends in all be-
0 neficent ways, Now, while in the old
fashioned country flower garden the beau
tiful sweet pea blossoms fall, and the
hollyhocks have become unsightly things
: and the sprswling msrigolds are losin,
o their bright hues, there are still the per
Q fumed and exquisite day lilies, and thei
2 Japanese cousins with their star formed
z backward curling petals, and the bril-
3 liantly varied beds of ZInniss, and tn
n splendid blossoms of the scarlet gerani
3 ums-unsurpassed for blaze of color, il
10 all the worlds snowy flowers, unless W
except some of the peerless flauntin
10 blooms of the cactus family, those flowe
NJ children OF the sun.
y Looking at all this warmth and glo'
. of floral color it does not seem that on
-. brief month will almost end it. But Dc
u tober gives US, instead, at least the bril-
=, liant passing pageant of the CLOWN
! trees. That chromstic exhibition is prat
tically natures celebration of her leave
rs taking, for more than one long an
largely dismal half year of everythin
y like color or warmth in her norther
landscapes.