Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-02-08

spring breathed life into me The re-
freshlng showers nurturcd me. The
sunbcams sooihed me and coaxed me
into smiles The birds warbled and
told me their secrets. The summer
breezcs rocked the 10 sleep The rising
sun kissed away my dewy tears. Life
was such continual happiness that ]
throbhcd with gladness aud tried To
! awaken the weary traveller rs he hid
from the noontide sun under my shad-
ow But then commenced to grow
Did. Something told me | had TO die.
and. though ! nestled closer 10 the
branch and tried to shake of the cold.
yet on every hand the likelihood flowed.
| Every morning when | awoke saw
hundreds of leaves drop. covered with
the white STROUD Of frost, and now as
lie there. incarnadlned with my life's
blood, you admire my beauty and my
colorlnss but am dying. My sun has
set IT Is eventldc aud time for lie 10
sleep the last great sleep. And you.
too. o man. must die, Younger men
will josfle You. You must some day
become back number Your heirs
may now be- getting ready to squabblc
over your will" 1T IS appointed unto
men once 10 die. but after that the
judgment" Does the dying leaf preach
that message TO you today?
Lives Of the Leaves.
Our lives are Ike the lives OF the
leaves Some Of us have just budded
into boyhood and glrlhood II Is
springtIme Endless life seems TO De
stretching out before our eyes The
edge Of the horizon where our graves
shall be dug seems to recede rs we
advance oh. how happy is May. Scr
row has not yet stabbed AZ the heart
and persecution has not yet snapped at
the heels The hardest work the boy
or girl has 20 do Is to get up In time
FOR breakfast Some Of us have left
the old homestead and set up house
keeping FOR ourselves. II is summer
We have MI the worriments and vexa
tons OF life From n selfish standpoint
It does not pay. But God never meant
you 30 live for yourself alone. so one
morning you awoke 70 find babe
sleeping In the cradle NJ yur side
Now you sit at one end OF the table
and Your wife sits at the other end
OF the table while between you is
growing ~ family Of whom any
man might be proud oh. how happy
is the summer We may have our
days Of rain ms well as Of sunshine, but
every rainstorm during the strength
of strong manhood has n bright rain
how to arch H. and every bard day 5
work has IT'S sweet home coming after
the heat Of the day Oh. how happy
fl sumnier.
Some Of us are near our journey ;
end. Your joints have stitfened with
the long journey Now all you can DO
Is 10 hohble and stumble along. pant.
Ing and putting all out of breath II
| IL autumn once you romped and leap
ed from The ha. moW ANA ran Ia take
your fathers hand. your eurls living
IA the wind aai with red roses q bloom
In 20 yoGr cteea. N0w you feel tired
aud u"ryeIcss though You may MAX,
an effort 10 deceive your friends you
usc not Gyceiyiag yourselves No. the
almauac does not lie X is autumn
Soon a procession viii he started and
you viii be- carried at the head Of it,
The bel viii toll when the hcarse en-
tiers the cemetery The stiffness OF the
little company In your family plot will
| be broken hy the solemn words Ashes
10 ashes dust 10 dust soon the 1T
tie company viii scatter. leaving their
dead Night Will fall upon the scene
When morning breaks. your new made
grave will he banked up by mound
OF snow II is winter, And you, TOO.
o man. must die, and after that the
judgment Does the leaf preach to you
! today? Sooner or later the time OF
! the closing of YOUR earthly life must
come Then will Christ speak unto
you MS he spake upou the sick man OF
the parable: Thou fool this night thy
sou shall be required OF thee. Then
whose shall these things be which
thou hast proyided:"
Will you not today as wise man
walk with wise men? VIII you not
walk with Paul and Peter and John
and Mary aud bow al the foot of the
cross? Will you not walk with the
Christian father and mother and broth
ers and sisters and husbands ana wives
and children who. with Christ's help
used the hllocks of their graves as
stepping stones TO their eternal thrones
| VIII you be. Ike Enoch, a truly wise
man who walked with God and who
never died because OF that divine com.
partnership! WIN you not cease to he
companion OF fools and thus ulti-
mately enter everlasting life?
| fConvrieht 1915 nv I.ouis Elonsch