Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-11-01
THE APPEAL OF FALL.

By fits and starts crisper grow the
mornings and the evenings, and even
earlier comes the dusk, so that there
is long reading space betwixt sup
per and bed-a time in which Injuns
may be slain, and pioneer times may
be lived again: in which occur dis
cussions upon domestic or foreign af-
fairs, by father and mother; or in
which, failing of other entertain
ment, you and Hen Schmidt, next
door, may play at marbles on the
carpet.
The delirious excitement of Hal
loween approaches, eliminates, and
reluctantly passes, for another year.
And now there is frost O. mornings.
Mothers begonias must be hustled
in, and her geraniums; and in the
south window is built up, on the
wire tiers, the customary pyramid of
plants-mother's cherished prcteges.
who must have the best of the win
ter's sunshine.
The leaves are dropping fast, so
that all the front yard is Uttered
with those from the naples, and all
the back yard with those from the
apple trees. With these the house
Is banked at the foundations, from
ground to first clap boards; with
these the rose bushes and the honey
suckle and pansies and the violets
and Glove pinks must be bedded, at
mothers direction; and the remand
er also must be raked, but for the
burning. Presently this after school
labor brings its reward in shape of
bonfires. Along the street the flames
are leaping, the smoke is eddying.
as If the town is lighting beacons
against the nearing host of winter.
Around the bonfires may you and
your fellows gambol and parade, per-
forming reckless prodigies of prank
and dance
The sunsets are red, answering
back with winters bael-fires upon
the horizon. Ducks and geese fly
continuously-and some night all
the air is vibrant with tumultuous
honking as in cohort after cohort the
alarmed migrants stream for the
south. That is sign. Not even the
veriest dullard can mistake. So be-
hold, in confirmation, the next noon
the cold wave signal-that ominous
white flag with the black square in
the center-is waving from the town
hall. And after school mother takes
you down town and buys you the
boots-the winter bcots-the annual
boots with red and gilt tops aud cop
per toes-the boots which are IN
tended to last you through until
spring!
And what is before those boots
what scuffing and scraping and slid
ing and soaking and freezing-ere,
shorn of their pristine freshness and
of pretty much every other original
attribute, they are cast into tie desc
lation of the alley, only such boots
know.
That very night it comes; the cold
wave. 1t rushcs down from the
north, driving before it the geese,
and shakes the house and how,s
above your bed. But you may lest
to external events, until in
ternal events apprise you thereof.
For early in the morning father has
arisen, to make in the hard coal
stove of the parlor that fire
which Che fondly expects) will not
go out all winter. The herald;ng
scent of warmed oo,ish is waited up
to you-announcing the crisis. To.
this you awaken.
And hurrah! For, bless us. this
is winter-or very much like It, as
serts mother. Cold as Greenland"
asserts father. Keen and gusty is
the November air, as the gray clouds
scud across the pale sky. The porch
vents its first, familiar cracking as
you step upon it, accommodating. The
sitting room (Which is also the din
ing room and breakfast room ana
supper room) stove eXhales its cher
ry warmth, and the obstinate and
sluggish parlor stove exhales its
odor of polish.
And hurrah! Here is a change,
and changes are welcome. Bluffy
arrayed for winter-in comrade nit
tens and comrade scarf and comrade
cap-and further accoutred with
those new boots. may you stump
forth, cringing not, but gleefully re-
ceptive of weather whatsoever that
may be, and ready to bid winter. III
his be winter, hail.-Edwin l.. Sa-
Il.