Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-10-30

/ CaulOUduluk VI lnt DdbNCAiCo VI nv S~N
fading away, slowly. gradually, as
the leaf-as the leaf
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 young buds. The
woods will be all a-hum with the chorus
of leafy voices. If the tree in front Of
your house, like Elijah, takes a chariot
of fire, its mantle will fall upon Elisha
If in the blast Of these autumnal bat
teries so many ranks fall, there are re-
serve forces to take their place TO defend
the fortress of the hills. The beaters OF
gold leaf will have more gold leaf to
beat. The crown that drops today from
the head of the oak will be picked up
and handed down for other kings to
wear. Let the blasts come. They only
make room for other life.
Give Way Cheerfully.
So. 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 dc
not let us despise the unfrosted. Au-
tumn must not envy the spring. Old
men must be patient with boys. DIR.
Guthrie stood up in Scotland and said
"You need not think am old because
nv hair is white. never was so young
as 1 am now." look back to my child
hood days and remember when III WIN
ter nights in the sitting room the chill
dren played the blithest and the gayes'
of all the company were father ano
mother. Although reaching fourscort
years Of age, they never got old.
Do not be disturbed as you see good
and great men die. People worry wher
some important parsonage passes of the
stage and say, His place will never bt
taken" But neither the church mol
the state will suffer for it. There viii
be others to take the places. When God
takes one man away. he has another
right back Of him. God is so rich il
resources that he could spare 5000
Summerfelds and Saurins, if there were
so many. There will be other leaves al
green. as exquisitely yeined, as grace
fully etched, as well pointed. However
prominent the place we fill, our deatf
will not jar the world. One falling lea
does not shake the AdirOndacks. A shll
is not well manned unless there be al
sxtra supply of handsome working
on deck. some sound asleep in thei
hammocks. God has manned this worl'
very well. There will be other seamei
on deck when you and l are down II
the cabin, sound asleep in the ham
mocks.
Not Alone We Perish.
Again, as with the leaves, we fad
and fall amid myriads Of others. On
cannot count the number OF plume
which these frosts are plucking from tn
. hills. They will strew all the streams
tbey will drift into the caverns; the
, will soften the wild beasts lair and III
; the eagles eyrie.
) All the aisles of the forest will be Gov
| cred with their carpet, and the steps G
: the hills glow with wealth OF colo
: and shape that will defy the looms
, Administer. What urn could hold tn
/ ashes of all these dead leaves! VIII
! could count the hosts that burn on thi
5 funeral pyre Of the mountainsf
! So we die in concert The clock tina
3 strikes the hour of our going will SCUM
, the going Of many thousands. keepin
3 step with the feet Of those who carry I
r ont will be the trampof hundreds doin
Q the same errand. Between 80 and Z
1 people every day lie down in Greer
, wood. That place has over 2OO'Oo
/ the dead. | said to the man at the gate
Q "Then, if there are so many here, 70
/ must have the largest cemetery. ID
: said there were two Roman Catholi
: cemeteries in the city, each OF whlc
Q had more than this. We are all dying
2 London and Peking are not the great CT
4 les of the world. The grave is the gre'
b CITY. 1t hath mightier population, lol
= ger streets, brighter lights, thicker dari
Q nesses. Caesar is there, and all his sui
Z iects. Nero is there, and all his yictimi
g City of kings and paupersl 1t has swa
=, lowed all our cities. Yet, City OF >
T lence No voice, no hoof, no whee
|, no clash, no shifting OF hammer, I
+ clack of flying loom, no jar, no whl
: per. Great City Of Silencel OF all j
y million million hands, not one OF thei
6 is lifted. Of all its million million eye
= not one Of them sparkles. OF all its mi
It lion million hearts, not one pulsate
The living are in small minority.
If in the movement Of time SON
It great question between the living an
d the dead should be put and God Gale
Il up all the dead and the living to deciC
g il. as we lifted our hands and from
the resting places Of the dead they LITE
their hands, the dead would outvote u
/ WHY. the multitude of the dying and Il
. dead are as these autumnal leaves drif
y ing under our feet today. We march
y toward eternity, not by companies OF
u hundred. OF regiments of thousand
p brigades Of ten thousands, but sixte'
u hundred millions abreastl Marching ol
: Marching onl
D Beauty withers.
70 Again. as with variety OF appearan
- - the leaves depart, so do we. You ha
= noticed that some trees, at the first tou
i !, of the frost, lose all their beauty; IN
- stand withered and uncomely a
2e rs,gad waiting for the northeast stol