The morning news., 1889-03-17
AN ESSAY BY A KING.
A Pretty Bit of Sentiment by the King
of n orwey and sweden.

or OrWey ana sweden.
Oscar Fredrik in the Nineteenth Century.
One autumn morning, as the sun had Just
lifted its golden orb above the horizon,
without, however, its rays having as yet
warmed the cold air, beheld standing by
the roadside me birch trees, already COW
cred with yellow leaves. Their day was
drawing to close, their life of bloom,
though brief, had been lovely one; life
passed in the glorious nature of the north.
When the rays of the vernal sun had
melted snow and ice, when unchanged lv-
ulets prattlsd pleasantly, and the lark
struck its notes in the azure sky, tender
buds had come forth from the cold branches
a I'd twigs, the buds became leaves; they
tlrove in tho balmy spring breeze the
young trees clad themselves in the green
c)lor of hope SO long as summer, the gol-
den-tressed goddess, ruled in the north, they
Q i)ved their own blooming loveliness. In
Innocence and simplicity they careSsed each
other, and offered a delicious shade to the
wanderer fatigued by the fierce sun. Now,
when summer-the too brief one Of this
north-has fed, behold! with what humility
trey bear their fate aud shed the treasures
of their crown. In their decadeuce. it their
| mi'fortune, they stand yonder as II none
tho less admiring the silent morning hour
They seem as if speaking to the traveller
who hastens BY to his daily calling after
| his Sunday rest. A d they awaken in him
| oudsr, and call forth thoughts that are
| less of this world.
Brotherl Man has also his ring, his
| summer and mis- autumn. Sp ing is his
| youth, summer his manhood, and autumn
his old age. But in the heydav of mans
| springtide there may be autumn; in his
| autumntide CLEAN of dawning spring
| Sorrow may change morn into eve, spring
into autumn The tree of life struck by
| the storm raises itself again with difficulty,
| or requires, at all events, time to do so. 1t
| might indeed be an impossbility, but for
Samaritans ready to give helping hand.
| Even the solitary desert palm may he
| shak N by the sirroco till it falls, be it ever
| so tall and Stro z.
| But in the depth of autumn there may,
| God be praised also be spring, Behold the
| charming birch trees in the grove yonde !
! They are going to rest through the long
| winter mig 1T, contented with their summer
| life, for they hope that when winter has ex-
| hausted its fury, still more balmy air. and
| a still more glorious sun, and a more en-
| chanting song than the bowling autumn
storms shall summon them to a new life, to
| fresh joys! And such is their exis ence, an
unbroken chain of births and deaths.
| And we. We, who are of en- ungrateful
when the world GOES against us-we, who
| grumble and rebel against the wise dictates
| of Providence and in self-c )nceiG wish to
| build up world ourselves, which we lmag-
inc would be a better one-what ought we
| to remember?
| Is no the promise sown in our hearts OF
resurrection and spring, after the autumn
| of life aud the grave of winter9 Is IL not
su or and more blessed than that of any
| other creature in the realm of
IA urel Have we not been endowed
with the gift Of living in sympathy here
below and of walking together along the
road of life in love and triendships And is
| not this gift a greater treasure than all
those which the man of pleasure deems
| pricelessl Why do we, then, despairi The
| spring following upon our winters grave
| win not depart from us, for it is eter al.
| Far more glorious is it than any cart ly
spring The sun is God, and we are angels
/ therein.
Should we believe that friendship formed
here below shall also follow u5 thitheri
| Why should be not believe that it shall bo-
come even stronger than heres Ay, fr 9 d.
ship, which has united mankind through all
ages in W ich they have lived, labored and
st uggled to reach the same goal, although
| by different roads-that iendship will
certai lly remain with us whom the haven
is reached, and it shall, on a brighter spring
morn, end to a more glorious spring clant,
foil w us into eternal spring, and he the
most cherished and joyful recollection OF
our past life on earth-of chilly autumn
tide OSCAR FREDRIK.