The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-19

the horizons that had been so clear
and bright were lost in mists that
floated all around the rim of the earth
like the torn white boards of sad old
men. Rain fell down and the waters
became as gray as the horizon Ever
more Loudly cried the winds, hurrying
aimlessly hither and thither.
So the September gales were born.
Ihey come each year now, and men
say that the Equinox has begun, not
knowing that it is the grieving of for
est and sea because the summer must
die.
When God looked down and saw and
heard the sorrow of his children-for
waves and grasses and tree and clouds
are his children, as are all the living
things-he held out his nand after they
mad mourned for many days. And they
looked up at him-the passionate Sum-
mer, battling against his sentence; the
rebelious Winds daring almost to
mount to heaven itself and thunder
among the stars: the prayerful trees.
standing beautiful and still in worship;
the little running waves, each singing
song of alteration; and the rolling
clouds, speeding across the sky like
His chariotS
And when they so looked at God all
at once they knew that His ways are
wonderful. The summer ceased this
grieving and held out his strong, true
arms to all that he loved and had
dressed in glorious raiment. The winds
began to blow softly. The South wind
the trees. The West wind blew and
brought with him silver smokes. They
rose in wreaths in the silent woods.
incense burning toward heaven. Men
see them now and say that the autumn
haze has come again. The East wind
came with strong breath of the
ocean that lay, exhaling all the heat
that the summer had given it,
But the North wind came with the
most beautiful gift of all. He bore in
his arms a little white Princess. Her
eyes were blue as the blue of Arctic
seas. Her hair was powdered with
something that f1immered and sparkled
like diamond dust. or was it snow?
Her dress was spangled with tiny crys-
tails like glass. She was the Princess
Frost.
She did not come like her warrior
brother who was to ride down into the
world later and with his sharp breath
blow all the trees and grasses and
waters into sleep. Gently and daiuti-
ly the little Princess, cuddled in the
arms of the brawny North Wind, toss
ed powder on branches and waves, let
ting it fall in drifting showers over the
iiiioiOCo anu lnei0 look ike
green hillsides embroidered with silver
laces.
The dying summer, no longer griev-
ing. bowed before the Princess Frost
and he and she and the North wind
went together through the woods.
Before each tall tree, before each tiny
bush, the Summer paused and, stoop-
ing, kissed it. The Princess Frost be-
hind him did the same. And when the
Summer kissed the trees and bushes
their leaves turned flaming red with
sthe fervor of his love for them. And
when the kiss of the blue-eyed Princess
touched them in turn, some became all
golden with delight, and still others
opened their tiny hands, and, letting go
of the branches, quietly f1uttered down
to lie on the earth below her feet.
So, sadly and yet joyfully, the Sum-
mer wandered on. And where he went
he painted the hills and the valleys.
From every place arose the smokes Of
the forests incense fires. The great
Sun looked with his fiery eyes, and.
seeing the Summer dying thus bravely
with beauty and love for his guide to
the end instead OF vain repining, the