The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-23


In the hearts and mind and faith OF each
other. And yet since we have been
banded together we have felt the organ
ization grow in helpfulness day by day,
and al little cost 10 ourselves-and even
that cost has helped each OF US. by
teaching us 10 search our own hearts
we have surely been a power for good,
an unfit TO the Respondent, a rest 10
the weary. a tower OF strength 10 many
VINO were weakening under the pessi-
mistic view Of life
The subject OF Nature" was a broad
one and allowed full scope to all the
members or the club. and yet see. as
you viii. that all OF the contributions
are from those who have looked at ma
ture through the eyes OF optimism.
young lady member OF our club who in
a letter tells me that up to now she has
been helped in writing her contributions,
but that hereafter she IS going 10 write
them alone. Miss Marie Sweeney. OF s.
S street. incloses a verse from Robert
Browning. which Is enc OF my favorites;
ind earth not gray. bIJt rosy
Heaven not grim but fair q hue.
Do stoopl l pluck a posy,
Do l stand and sfaTel ANS blue
Browning is often thought of as a pes
simistic poet, but he voices In that verse
the true optimistic spirit
The spirit in which 10 consider nature
is the spirit Of progress. Surely We are
moving toward the suns" We do not
need 10 learn this from history. from the
books, or from the traditions OF man
kind-it is our 10 see for ourselves; II is
for us all TO find sermons in stones;
books in the running brooks. and good
in everything" That is the lesson Of op-
timism that nature has for all Of Us.
Beneath the turf we seem 70 bury with
some loved one. all that makes life beau
tiful and hopeful. and the clods that pile
above into on ugly yellow mound seem
10 shut in our hearts as in a prison.
Time moves and 10, the mound IS car
peJed with velvet green and flowers
bloom upon the grave, whilo in the
branches overhead the birds sing and
make the world glad so that our individ-
ual sorrow seems but little thing. In
The great immensely of nature Il seems
50 futile 10 be selfish and shut up wlthin
ourselves. The great scheme of things
moves on and our wailings nor sorrows
shall rot check nature in its course:
The moving finger writes. and having writ
Moves ca. Nor an your piety nor wit
Shall lure Il back % cancel half line,
AeF all your tears wash 0ut a word Of it.
But we can help the process OF nature
by laughter and happiness and hope. II
this old world were but Just made up Of
the thought of the autumn and winter,
then indeed there might ne cause Tor
gloom But We know that as progression
takes its course that the trees will leaf
again. the birds WI sing again; children
laugh merrily and grow in grace and
that We ourselves. as We live hopefully
shall grow in greater usefulness, better
able % DO our parts. as the days 60 by
To think Of nature thus, 10 draw from
her bosom only the most hopeful lessons
and added strength, is to think Of her
at the highest, to think of her as Mrs
Browning thought OF her. as a balm for
sorrow a relief from care.
Tns little cares thai fretted me. l lost them yes-
teIday
Among the fields, above the sea, among the winds
70 play
Among The lowing Of the herds. the rustlins Of
Among the singing Of the birds. the hurnning OF
the ttes
The foolish fears Of what might ehsree threw
thsm an away
Among the cloyersc5nted grass, among the new
Among tae husking Of the corn where drcwsy
poIqies ned.
Where i'll thoughts die and good are born.
Out 10 the fields with God.
I trust that amor YOU members OF the
Optimist Club win find as much inspira-
lion in our subject for next Sunday as
you have in this The subject as an
nounced on Thursday tby an inadvert-
ence the announcement was left out on
Wednesday, is Autumn Days
There is 20 color in the world.
No lively tint bill plain;
The summrr su,den sails are fured
And sadly falls the autumn rain
Few, indeed, are the spirits that rise
superior 10 Iha ccLditicns wrought by
this season Of the year We are so con-
stimted, most of us. that chameleon
Ike, We take our mental and our soul
color from the things about US; as the
earth is gray and sodden. the rustic of
the dead leaves about our feet. and the
Inists o. the autumn rain beats upon our
faces; So the spirit that is within US
seems to be affected. anC cur moods have
been interpreted by the poet:
The Wind means in the Wood,
The Leaf du!s iIon the Tree.
The cold rain falls on the grace Of the Good
The cod mist cones up from the sea
How do they affect you, fellow-opti-
mists, these autumn days? Have you
that brave optimistic spirit that enables
you 10 see beyond the horizon OF gloom
10 the days when sunshine shall come
again? II so. dear friends, tell US the
thought that inspires YOU that helps TO
ind the true lesson Of life in these au-
tumn days.
1t is a subject that should be an in
spiration 10 discuss; It should be an in
sp.ration TO all OF us 20 learn what each
OF Us has 70 say.
For the best essays on the subject of
Autumn Days The Washington Herald
Will award two prizes Of So each
One member of the club writes object
ing to the fact that prize was awarded
10 5. Z. Adkins FOR a contribution which
was quoted. As l have frequently an
nounced, We want the best thoughts on
the assigned subject, and though, usual
y. 1 give preference 10 original cOmpo-
sitions. the contribution of $. Z. Adkins
was so fitting and timely that l deemed
Il worthy of the prize. incidentally may
! mention that though The Optimist has
never met s. Z. Adkins, he received a
day or TWO ago q little quotation written
from hospital where our fellow-mern-
Der IS now confined. There was a rose
bud in the letter and this verse:
God. make my life little song,
That c0mfmteth the sad.
That helpeth otheis 20 BE strong.
And al that heaTrth glad.
am sorry 10 say that some contripu-
tons this week have been rejected be-
cause they were written on both sides
of the paper Il is impossible 10 print
such communications, no matter how
worthy the subject matter NAV ha