The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-10-12
MATURITY.

III tuC oPAi anu |
are faultless in their luxuriance Of
lowers and foliage; but the autumn of
the year is Disappointing. The leaves
scarce lose their green before they
wither and decay. They have no gor-
geous tints of bronze, red and gold.
In the Middle States, where grow the
beech and maple trees, and where the
atmosphere is as pure and strength
giving as the golden Christ-blessed
wine of Cana, the autumn is so beauti-
full that it is called the "Indian Sum-
mer..' There is in tia depth and bloom
and glory, which the real summer
lack. Then too. it gains an added
power and vividness from the fact that
it will soon be followed by the bare
iimbed trees and frozen brown earth
of winter.
The rich beauty of this season has
appealed strongly 10 the taste OF the
modern novelists; and they have been
pleased to trace in this second sum-
mer so fruitful, rich and refined re-
semblance to the second summer of
life to that period which directly fol-
lows the first flush of youth and young
womanhood. Howells has called one
of his novels s.Au Indian Summer, =
and in it he contrasts the charms of a
woman of twenty with those of a
woman of thirty-iive. The young girl
he describes as physically beautiful,
with mind which has devoured books
by the score and digested none Of
them, and lively if somewhat boist-
erous enthusiasm. She is soon noticed
soon liked and soon forgotten. The
elder woman is characterized by GER
tain subtle refinement and fascination.
Her manners, her delicate face, hel
dainty dress, all bear marks of per.
son that has seen somewhat of life and
felt its sorrows and It's Joys. The young
girl has the gift of freshness, the Older
woman the gift of experience. Howells
does not hesitate to pronounce .hs
woman that has reached the Indiar
summer of life, more charming than
the young girl that has scarcely passed
the spring-time. And he is right
There is no doubt that maturity j!
more rich and beautiful than youth
| the fulfillment more beautiful than ths
promise.
Indeed the PROMISE is beautiful
chiefly BECAUSE it suggests the fulfill
ment; and the real power of childhood
lies in its prophetic element--the capa
bility of growth. When we look into
the clear eyes of little girl, and
notice the tender curves around hel
mouth and chin, we instinctively fee
what a lovely woman she will
make! Here is symbolized the purity
and tenderness and joyonsness Of
perfect character. And then. ouI
minds ssrest with deeper satisfaction
on the memory of some rare woman
that has really fulfilled the promise
of her youth; that actually became
what the child can become. If VIZ
could look around us. and find that tht
| majority of women had attained then
full stature of moral beauty, childhood
would be just as sweet to US as ever
but we would not turn to it with thu
pathetic longing and sense OF relic
that we do now. The reason that W.
ioy so much IN the loneliness Of child
hood is, that in the depths of our hearts
almost all of us are disappointed IN tn,
specimens we see of won1anhood AM
manhood. The child is only aprcrnise
lbut it is perfect as a promise; tn
! average man or woman is an imperfec
fulfillment of the promise; hence tn
thought of childhood gives more pleas
I ure than the thought of maturity; no
because it can compare to maturity il
/ value, but because to most people ma
turity means broken ideals.
That the thought of perfect ma
turity would exert more power thai
the thought Of. a perfect childhood
made evident by the life OF Christ
When He stood in the Temple Q
Solomon. and spake as never spake,
was rot his intellect that capture
] alike the subtle and the simple men Q
/ Jnruseism. but il was the fact tina
He made real to them the highes
/ ideals of their dreams.
| Wher they looked into the clea
| depths of His eye, they felt Perfee
| goodness is possible. The purity {
manhood excells the innocence 3
| childhood. The tenderness of on
strong enough to be severe excelIs th
tenderness of one not strong enough {
be severe. The fruition exceils th
promise. Maturity exeelis youth.