Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-11-07


whether a country is TO be fertile or
not. Once destroy the forest with IT'S
leaves and the orchards with the;r
leaves and you change the whole ar
mospheric condition of the country as
parts of Spain and Portugal have been
robbed of all moisture 10y the destruc-
ton of the leaves. Thus each genera
lions spiritual life is absolutely neces-
sarv to be matured and developed for
the spiritual life of the generation
which is 10 follow. Your spiritual life
decides what is to be the spiritual life
of your children and your children's
children.
Would that our spiritual Efe might
not only be saving gospel for our
selves. but also for those who are Ia
come after is. There is beautiful
story told of Ulysses, the most lannon's
of all Honefic heroes. who won his
greatest victory when he Oyercame the
fendish power of the sorceress bv the
influence of q few leaves. Gree lived
in a beautiful palace upon q certain Is
land. There as a beautiful enchant-
ress surrounded by her maidpns. she
welcomed the travellers who landed M
on her shores. She banqueted and fet-
ed them At the end of tie feast
however. she would arise, wave over
the assemblGge her magic wand. and
her guests would be changed into re-
pulsive four footed beasts, who would
he driven by the attendant out to the
swine trougIls. After Ulysses fellow
yOyagerS had been thus metamorphos-
ed the hero went to their rescue. In
his hand he held the fabulous herb
which was given to him by the god
Hermes. Never for an instant did he
let those leaves drop from his hand
By their power he was able to break
the fatal spell of the destroyer and
make her beg for mercy and restore to
him his helpless and suffering compan-
IONS
Heather Poets Idea.
This was a heather poets idea Of
the power of evil being overcome by
the mighty and supernal power of a
few leaves given to his hero by a
heather god. Cannot we use today our
lives as the symbol of healing leaves?
Cannot we feel that we by the grace of
God can absorb into ourselves the heal
ing power Of the gospel? Then cannot
we further believe that the healing
and saving power of the gospel which
we have received from Christ we can
impart to those dear ones who draw
their earthly life from our life? AS
we have been saved by the blood of
Christ, cannot we offer that atoning
blood to those who love us and who
are dependent upon us for temporal as
well as spiritual life?
But. though a fading leaf is a dying
leaf, yet after all it's last days ought
to be its most resplendent days. Is
the leaf ever so beautiful as when it
has the hectic flush of death upon it's
cheek? Is it ever SO beautiful as when
we rub our fingers over its yellow fore
head, when, like a corpse still warm,
it is torn off an overhanging branch
and tumbles gently this way and that
into our waiting laps?
And is there time in all his earthly
career when a Christians life is SO
beautiful as after the autumnal frOsts
OF the tomb have touched his cheek?
Then the physical force Of the life may
be gone. He may not have the strength
he once had, but in his eye there will
come a softer look, in the touch of his
hand there will come a gentler SYM
pathy. in the sound of his voice there
will be holier prayer, in the move
ment of his heart there will be gen
tier yearning. Thus the aged Christian,
like the last leaf left upon the tree
branch, may seem to be alone as all
the leaves of his generation have fallen,
yet people will love him for his noble
life, mellowed by many a singing
frost They will love him for what
he has been. for what he is, and for
what he is to be. Oh my dear friends,
by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
as a Christian, your last days on earth
may become your best days. Would
you not have them foretaste of the
best of all days. which shall come to
| all of Christ's dear ones in heaven?
copyright, 1904, by Louis Klopsch,l
TI,ov Courf Sharn Crfffcfan