Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-11-05

ling of the flames of colors in
lowly sprig; then they rushed NJ
from branch to branch, until tn,
glory of the Lord submerged tn,
forest. Here you would find a tire,
just making up its mind to change
and there one looked as if, wounded
at every pore, it stood bathed il
carnage. Along the banks of Lake
Huron there were hills over which
there seemed pouring cataracts o.
fire, tossed up and down and every
whittier by the rocks. Through
some of the ravines we saw occa
sionally a foaming stream, al
though it were rushing to put GU
the confiagration. If at one end Of
woods a commanding tree would sci
up its crimson banner, the whole
forest prepared to follow. If Gods
urn of colors were not infinite, one
swamp that I saw along the Maumet
would have exhausted it forever
If seemed as if the sea of divine
glory had dashed its surf to the tip
top of the Alleghanies, and then il
had come dripping down to lowest
leaf and deepest cavern.
Most persons preaching from this
text find only in it a vein of sadness.
l find that l have two strings to
this gospel harp-a string of sad
ness and a string of joy infinite.
1--WE all do fade as a leaf"
First, like the foliage, we fade
gradually. The leaves which, week
before last, felt the frost have, day
by day, been changing in tint, and
will for many days yet cling to the
bough. waiting for the fist
of the wind to strike them.
Suppose you that the pictured leaf
you hold in your hand took on its
color in an hour, or in a day, or in a
week. No. Deeper and deeper the
flush, till all the veins Gifts life now
seem opened and bleeding away.
After a while, leaf after leaf, they
fall. Now those on the outer
branches, then those most hidden,
until the last spark of the cleaning
forge shall have been quenched.
So gradually we pass away. From
day to day we hardly see the change.
But the frosts have touched us.
The work of decay is going on. Now
a slight cold. Now a season of
o~ver-fatigue. Now a fever. Now
a stitch in the side. Now a neural
gic trust. Now rheumatic twinge.
Now a fall. Little by little. Pain
by pain. Less steady of limb.
not so clear. Ear not so alert.
After a while we take a staff. Then,
after much resistance, we come to
spectacles. Instead of bounding
into the vehicle, we r willing to
be helped in. At last the octogen-
arian falls. Forty years of decay
ing. No sudden change. No fierce
cannonading of the batteries of life;
but fading ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ally. AS the leaf. As the leafi
Again, like the leaf, we fade to
make room for others. Next years
forests will be as grandly folliaged
this. There are other generations
Of oak leaves to take the place of
hose which this autumn perish.
Next May the cradle of the wind
rock the young buds. 1.-The
woods will be all ahum with the
,horus of leafy voices. If the tree
n front of your house, like Elijah,
axes a chariot of fire, its mantle
will fall upon Elisha. If, in the
last of these autumnal batteries, SO
many ranks fall, there are reserve
orces to take their places to defend
he fortress of the hills. The beaters
f gold leaf will have no more gold
saf to beat. The crown that drops
oday from the head of the oak will
G picked up and handed down for
Their kings to wear. Let the blasts
ONE. They only make room for
Their life.
So, when we go, others take our
.heres. We do not grudge the
lture generations their places.
We will have had our good time.
,et them come on and have their
God time. There is no signing
mong those leaves today, because
Their leaves are to follow them.
.fter a lifetime of preaching, doc
selling, sewing, or digging,
1T lie cheerfully give way for those
rho come on to do the preaching,
octoring, selling, sewing and dig
God grant that their life may
9 brighter than ours has been! As
Q get older do not let US be affronted
young men and women crowd US
little. We will have had our day,
nd we must let them have theirs.
When our voices get cracked, let US
OF snarl at those who car MARBLE.
When our knees III stiffened, let
s have patience with those who go
eet as the deer. Because Jul leaf
fading, do not let us despise the
nfrosted. Autumn must not
IVY the spring. Old men must be
with boys. DIR. Guthrie
God up in Scotland and said, "You
eed not think / am old because my
air is white; I never was so young
I am now" l look back to my !
,iIdhood days, and remember
hen, in. winter nights, in the sit
ng room, the children played, the {
!ithest and the gayest of all the {
,mpany was father and mother.
Though reaching fourscore years {
age, they never got old.
Do not be disturbed as you see .
BOD and great men die. People,
orry when some important per- !.
mage passes off the stage, and say, :
His place will never be taken"
ut neither the church nor the statel
i'll suffer for it. There will bel
hers to take the places. When
cd takes one man away, he has
right back of him. God isl
rich in resources that he could