Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-10-29

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 q season Of overfatigue, now
q fever, now stitch in the side. now q
neuralgia thrust, now rheumatic
twinge, now a fall Little by little.
pain by pain. less steady of limb, sight
not so clear, ear not SO alert After
awhile we take a staff. Then. after
much resistance, we come to spectacles.
Instead Of bounding into the vehicle,
we are willing TO be helped in. At last
the octogenarian falls. Forty years Of
decaying. No sudden change. No fierce
cannonading of the batteries Of life, but
fading away, slowly, gradually, as
the leaf-as the leafi
Again, like the leaf, we fade to
make room for others. Next years for
ests will be as grandly foliaged as this.
There are other generations of oak leaves
to take the place Of those which this
autumn perish. Next May the cradle Of
the wind will rock the yoEug buds. The
woods will be all a-hum with the chorus
of leafy voices. II the trea in front of
your house. like Elijah, takes chariot
of fire, its mantle will fall upon Elisha.
If in the blast of these autumnal bat
teries so man. ronks fall, there are re-
serve forces to ;e their place to defend
gold leaf wi I've more gold leaf to
beat. The GROW that drops to-day from
the head of ta oak will be picked up
and handed ,, N for others kings to
wear. Let the blast come. They only
makeroom for other life.
Gave Way Cheerfully.
81, when we go, others take our
spheres. We do not grudge the future
generations their places. We will have
had our good time. Let them come on
and have their good time. There is no
signing among these leaves today, be-
cause other leaves are to follow them.
After lifetime Of preaching, doctorinG.
selling, sewing or digging, let US cheer
fully give way for those who come on
to do the preaching, doctoring, selling,
sewing and digging. God grant that
their life may be brighter than ours has
been. AS we get older do not let us be
affronted if young men and women
crowd us little. We will have had our
day, and we must let them have theirs
When our voices get cracked, let us not
snarl at those who can warble. When
our knees are stiffened, let us have pa
tience with those who go feet as the
deer. Because our leaf is fading do
not let us despise the unfrosted. Au-
tumn must not envy the spring. Old
men must be patient with boys. DR..
Guthrie stood up in Scotland and said
"You need not think I am old because
my hair is white. never was SO young
as am now look back to my child
hood days and remember when in win
ter nights in the sitting room the chill
dren played the blithest and the gayest
of all the company were father and
mother. Although reaching fourscore
years of age, they never got old.
Do not be disturbed as you see good
and great men die. People worry when
some important parsonage passes off the
stage and say, His place will never be
taken" But neither the church nor
the state will suffer for it. There will
be others to take the places. When God
takes one man away, be has another
right back of him. God is so rich in
resources that he could spare 5000
Summerfelds and Saurins, if there were
so many. There will be other leaves af
green, as exquisitely veined, as grace.
fully etched, as we'll pointed. Howevei
prominent the place we fill, our death
will not jar the world. One falling Leaf
does not shake the Adirondacks. A ship
is not we'll manned unless there be an
extra supply of hands-some working
on deck, some sound asleep in theiI
hammocks God has manned this world
very we'll. There will be other seame1
on deck when you and I are down il
the cabin. sound asleep in the ham,
mocks.
Not Alone We Perish.
| Again, as with the leaves we fade
and fall amid myriads of others. One
|
which these frosts are plucking from The
hills. They will strew all the streams
they will drift into the caverns; they
will soften the wild beasts lair and fl
the eagles eyrie.
All the aisles of the forest will be Gov
cred with their carpet, and the steps o.
the hills glow with wealth Of colol
and shape that will defy the looms o.
Administer What urn could hold the
ashes of all these dead leaves? Wht
could count the hosts that burn on this
funeral pyre Of the mountains9
So we die in concert The clock thai
strikes the hour Of our going will SOUND
the going Of many thousands. Keeping
step with the feet Of those who carry us
out will be the tramp of hundreds doing
the same errand. Between so and II
people every day lie down in Green
wood. That place has over 900, 900 Of
the dead. said to the man at the gate,
"Then, If there are so many here, yor
must have the largest cemetery" He
said there were two Roman Catholic
| OSAlCSClAoS Ill oAO oAoJi GULL VI WhASA
had more than this We are all dying.
London and Peking are not the great cit
les Of the world. The grave is the great
city. 1t hath mightier population, Ion
| ger streets, brighter lights, thicker dark
nesses. Caesar is there. and all his sub
jects Nero is there, and all his victims,
City Of kings and paupers! 1t has swal
lowed all our cities. Yet, City of ST