The Canton times., 1903-05-22

mony through the bewildering for
ests of immensity. iR silent. And in
the overcoming Of evil, the conquer
ing Of passion, the moulding of char
aoter, the coming of beautiful
thoughts, like angels in dream, there
is silence
The beautiful imagery of Job seems
to imply that we should make time
factor in ripening the SOUL so that
when we go down to the grave we
should be like the shock of corn that
decks with gold the autumn field. AS
we gaze on those advanced in years,
standing amid the scenes of sunset,
or the paler luster Of the stars, we are
inclined to think they have outlived
their usefulness, because of physical
tnflrmities. But do we think how
much we owe to them because Of
their chastened wisdom, their calm
and feathery movements, their powers
toned to delicacE and beauty, and
their serene elevation and purity of
strength? Do we know how much
they help us to live in the pure love
of the true, the beautiful and the
good? We should never forget how
magnetic are the silent forces of life.
What can match the gracious influence
Of royal character enshrining and
expressing the divine ideal? Our
world needs these Indian summers
of life to teach meekness and gentle
ness-qualities as rare as opals. The
most heavenly and Christlike Of vir-
tues do not belong to Towering May,
or luxuriant June, but to the autumn
of life. when
November strews the woodland DER
With many q brilliant color"
have seen the dashing river in the
mountains carrying trees and powders
as if they were but straws, but no
green savannas were mirrored in the
depths. l have heard the thunder
Of the cataract, and have seen the
foam and spray dim the splendor of
the noon. But far up in the noun
tains l have seen the limpfd lake
copying the fora on the banks, and
at night the starry mysteries OF heav-
en-. Piety, in old age, has the Sc
renity and clearness of the embow-
cred lake. Piety, in youth and in he
roiC manhood, has the dash, the
swing, the rhythm and the majesty
of the river and the sea. Old age,
fashioned into comelinesS, radiant
with the beauty of holiness, is the
fulf1llment and realization Of the di-
vine ideal. He who leaned on the
bosom of his Lord and dipped his pen
in the pure love of heaven, wrote the
fourth gospel with nearly a century
in his heart. A full age, like a shock
of corn, is essential to the maturity
of wisdom, the equipOise and balanced
calm OF life, the symmetry of char
acter.
There is an inspiration in looking
at a sanity man sitting in his chair
Memories fragrant as spikenard are
his companions. His life is green
as the leaflets of spring, and sweet
as the blossoms of May, although he
is an autumn leaf. And while his
body is crumbling, his soul is radi-
antly youthful. and looks forward to
death as the gateway to coronation.
The finished life, like the snow-white
pillars carved into lily work, cannot
be wrought out in a year.
It requires time to ripen the grain
and mellow the fruits and array them
in their final colors. 1t requires
time to bring the lily and the rose
to their ultimate Towering, and the
vine to it's stage when purple clusters
CLEAN through its leaves. And it
requires time to produce rounded
character, as tender as 'tis brave, as
gentle as tits strong; clarified by the
waters of sorrow, and chastened by
the fires of aff1ictiOn. is the crOwning
work or time. And what IS Sucn
q character, in it's graciousness and
beauty, but picture in art? The
painter, the architect, the musician,
deal with the beautiful forms and
colors and sounds But fond as we
are of gazing on pictures in stone and
marble, in coIors harmoniously ar
ranged, and in hearing sounds that
make us think and dream of heaven,
we must confess, the soul, when finely
carved and shaped-all ablOOm with
springlike glory and morning fresh
ness-is a greater picture.
A life fashioned in harmony with
high ideals, marked by unusual ele-
vation and spirituality of tone, gentle
as one of the nights in autumn when
all the leaves are still, full of win
some courtesy and affectionate behav-
ior, is a fine art-more curiOusly
wrought than the Portland vase, and
more exquisitely fashioned than the
Venus of Milo. 1t is Gods master
piece.
But if we wish to stand IN the au-
tumn of life, covered with all the
glory of October, we must pay at
tention to the planting time. We
reap what we SOW. Autumn may
mean decay, darkness and death; or
it may mean abundance, light and
sweetness All autumn leaves are,
not beautiful Some have been de-
faced They do not pass from glory