The Dickinson press., 1889-06-22
TURNING NEW LEAVES.
THOUGHTS ON NATURES AND MANS
WAYS OF DOING 1T.

WAYS OF DOING 1T.
The Leaves In the Books Of Nature Well
| Written Upon-Papa Never Did Any
| thing Wrong-NIorallzing on Spring
Day-Four Perfect Things in Nature.
| How many beautiful ideas are framed into
language and float all about from somewhere
mp the stream Of time Why did some one
call the thin Iaminn Of paper which make up
book, cavest Indeed, it was a pretty
thought. for how like the leaves they are,
thin, fragile pcrshable, and nowadays
there are almost as many of one kind of
leaves rs of tho other. Yes, and as for kinds
| and styles there arc almost Us many in books
rs on the trees, but are there any SO witty
and wiset If you will make study of the
cavcs-that is. the book of nature-you will
see they nro nlarveously well written upon
And you will not find one that is not illus
trntcd with finer art than even adorns the
pages OF our art books Sec how well cut
are the edges. and enameled, which is better
than Gildel Some ono has said If we could
live us long as Methuselah we should not be
able to find out all there is to bo learned
from n single rose leaf That is more than
we can say Of our book leaves, although
know some that seem to be nearly as good as
rose leaves
LEAVES IN OUR LIVES.
We'll, we'll, said John. as we sat down to
tho breakfast table this morning, I'VE must
all turn over new leaves today" "'Tis an
old saying father answered, but tell me
why VIC should turn leaf today more than
| ,,tI, n
said John. II suppose if ono lives rightly,
there is enough in Zach day to fill a leaf with
good things and then ono may turn it over
| had better tear it out altogether" Only"
said |, "one cannot do that, and there is
where tho likeness fails, for wo can pick Off
the trees a worm eaten leaf. but in tho lifo
book it must stay forever" "It is curious"
said John, that ono can never forget. Only
last night, in dream, | recalled events to
the utmost minuti;p, that have not thought
OF i'll my waking hours for twenty years, and
! cannot now possibly by force of purpose
bring it back so fully and clearly But did
it in my sleep, and shall no doubt do it again
What terrible thing it would bo to live for.
ever in u bad dream-nevcr wake up, but
never cease to dream on-recalllng and re.
hcarsins tho evil one has donc."
But, papa" said Ned. you havo never
done anything bad, you know-so what's tho
use of talking about it," Now, John, Jr.,
has great faith in mo, but Ned has boundless
faith in his father Tho blessed innocentsl
but | am glad it is SO, for If not life would bo
n desert to us who SEQ and know our faults.
So | sad "Ycs, John, think wo will all
| turn over now leaves today. 1t is the first
day of spring and nature is already at work
|
over only, but will make them outright, and
swing them high, and fill them up us they
grow And then We must not forget that us
soon as leaves begin to get largo enough for
tho wind to turn them over, there will also
be blossoms and with blossoms sweetness
and wholesomcness." And there will be
fruit also in duo time" added John. "if some.
thing do not interfere. So lsuppose our now
leaves must not 10 quito like book leaves but
moro like apple leaves. But there is great
difference in fruits"
| OUT IN THE FIELDS AND FOREST
But | do not like moralizing, especially of
the old Hannah More sort. because there is
no end to it any moro than there is to spi
dcr's web, SO proposed that we finish our
eating and go out and see nature Mt her work.
What can DO finer than spring day that is
full of premonition and prcliminaresf 1t was
not yet May by any means, but it was May
day-soft and warm-but above all unutter-
ably quiet. Did it ever occur to you that on
somo days Nature herself is listcning-pcr-
haps trying to hear her own pulse bcatt The
clms and soft naples were shaking out their
infinite ptenituds Of blossoms; and tho Eng
lish'e,ms looked a. II covered with great
crop Of hops. wish these tyees would turn
over new leaf, for they begin the year
wrong end foremost .. SSt2-
They ripen vast crop Of seeds and ding
them down over au the lawns, and all s;tt,,-
mer they are sprouting and sprnging in
every nook and corner, and outside Of all tho
nooks too. | said this to John, and he only
answered that if could have my way there
would be funny world after awhile Did
| we not como out to turn over leaves and
amend lhngs' To be surel But wish that
| men would turn over now leaf, and get rid
Of their sarcasm and conceit. All, but what
splendid creatures they would be after while,
if We only had the way Of it and the making
of them.
The lilac is the finest shrub in tho world.
1t has every good quality 1t comes SO very
early. is loaded with blossoms, is not only
sweet, but healthily sweet, is as easily grown
us thorn bush or nettle. like flower
that takes to tho poor people and will grow
without extra care. That is the lilac exactly;
just what the geranium is in pots tho lilac is
in our yards. We sat down by the great
bushes Of purple and white Persians, and
watched the young tufts of flowers. There
were more flowers than leaves and one or
two lunches were just opening
Fresh young grass, full Of greenncss and
dotted with buo violets, is fine, also. for tho
same reason. They belong to every one, and
| in,
nor vio!ets. Then, overhead, should be, first
of all, apple trees. With grass, violets, IL
lacs and apple trees spring is complete every
where These do not need to turn over any
new leaves, by way Of amendment. They
arc four of tho perfect things in nature
| Mary Spencer in St Louis Globe-Democrat.