Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-23
Record in Mitchell Case.
IN THE VEsTIBULE OF AUTUMN
New England Editorial Poet Dips His
Quill in the COIOrs of the
Season.

When after long fall rains that brood
over earth in gray masses of moving
cloud and now and anon descend upon
earth; after nights OF white mist and
breathless stiffness; after swift, tempestu-
GUS showers; after chill days of depres-
sion finally the north wind wings around
the edge of the vaporous waste of waters
and sweeps It out and away, to accom-
plish further duty in other regions-when
this change comes what rich clearness
there is in the air, how the trees shine
in the sunlight and the pasture grasses
renew almost the hues of spring beneath
the flowers of autumn, how sweet is the
fragrance of the fields and how welcom-
ing the aspect Of all the earth!
Much does it suggest a new awakening.
for everything in outer nature responds
to the fresh invigoratlon. Now start the
dandelions, seedlings of those that made
the spring so cheerful amid the grasses
and along the roadside; not all Of our
gold is Mays, they say; even now there is
time for revival, and the goldenrods can
| not monopolize the aureate splendor. So
| the buttercups are encouraged and send
I out new blossoms on the old stems; It Is
| but a trifiing effort to do this, and II 1t be
| In farewell, 1t is also in promise. The
! heart of the old earth beats now as warmly
on the verge OF sleep as when the year
was new.
The autumn sweetness is in possession
| of the winds that watt the pollen OF
myriad flowers; and when the sun beams
strongest In midday the balsam of the frs
and pines and hemlocks floats out as
warmly as in summer Moons. Beneath the
shades glow the crimson mushrooms and
the weird blossoms without foliage OF the
coral root orchid haunt the rambler in those
sacred recesses. The nuts are beginning to
ripen and provldent squirrels are clipping
| them from their punches in the air. Beech
nuts must be gathered early II they are
to be gathered at all, but even the other
nuts that are not ripe are subject 20 the
foreseeing enterprise OF these shrewd
creatures. They have their concerns to
attend to, and do not neglect them.
There is a calm and rest in the processes
of nature that deeply impress the restless
and perturbed soul of man. To many
who are short OF sight as to beauty and
significance in the work OF nature, this
tenderness OF the departing life is melan-
choly. as foretelling the harsh onset OF
/ imprisoninE months, when the SHOWS
come and the north wind. now only IN
} vigorating and welcome, shall be fierce and
forbidding OF pleasure This is TO take
. but a petty thought out OF the grea
= thoughts offered by the noble changes o.
. the encompassing life Hour by hour tn,
life develops into myriad manifestation
of beauty and glory; hour by hour thes,
; fulhll their purpose and slowly vanish int,
memories; but the life itself does not van
ish. In all things, as in man himself. tn
!. phases melt and resolve into other phases
Presently we shall see the superb an,
lovely blossoming OF the trees into won
y derful colors-for flowers are but leave
! diverted from one form OF service TO an
2 other and a higher form, and the blossom
: ing OF the woodland is redoubled and en-
d goried above the gentler graces OF sprin
and summer Already, for a month pas
there have been signal boughs of mapl
= and the sumachs reddening pinnates; an
4 ferns have been growing pale and CLOWN
y white in the shaded woods. Nothing
n done In haste. but all in gracious and loS
l. ing moderation, and when the splendor
come, we shall have been prepared fC
= them in a thousand ways.
= The birds are going now: many, that {
as they will. have already grown few in OF
region, and now the thickets the fenC
corners. the helds. know the assemble,
of one and another migratory family. tt
shore birds are swinging over US, day ar
day-sandpipers and others that go
hoeks, bound for fields OF food that v
know not Of. The voices OF song are few
as the fall comes on. But the bird tn
sings no longer here may sing In Sou
America. and all will return when thu
II know the sign that urges them once aga
northWard. All Is as Il should be with
the creatures OF the earth, except only ma
to him nature says so little, because
y himself u not 50 consciously q part