The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-05

Across the equator the sun mas iiduS
its autumnai way. The old harvest
moon fingers no longer in the new
moons arms. Comes now tho moon of
the hunter. 1t does not come as the
world once was led to believe, to
lengthen the hunters day. This 1t
may do. to be sure. but its advent Is
to proclaim in no uncertain terms of
radiance that the harvest being past
and the summer ended. there is now
plenty of time for play!
What pity our ancestors did not
read Alright the lunar sign in the octo-
ber heavens: they lost so muchl To
them october was q month made gray
by useless regret for a summtr scarce
ly gone and a winter already looming
up on their horizon. Still irnbued with
the rigid spirit OF Puritanism-happily
being diluted gradually by each sue
ceeding generation-they cheated them
selves of a glorious present by forever
harping on the past and future at this
time of year Fancy all october being
clouded by such thoughts as that the
day of st. Simon's and st. Jude's-the
2Sth OF the month--was the proper one
for putting on winter clothing; or
looking forward, days ahead. to that
day as being sure to be rainy: or let
ting the mind dwell on warm October,
cold February" and so on, until it was
not easy to see the lights of life's pic
true for the shadows.
who gives SO much thought nova
days to winter in the month that is
marked by the full of the hunters
moon--or prates of a dying year? Suffi-
eient unto October are the joys thereof
AS for the years being on Its last legs,
1t is not yet old: the summer'S languof
out of the system, it has reddened along
with the leaves of the pepperidge-it
has taken a fresh lease of life. AS the
year rejuvenates itself in midautumn,
so men and women. venturing afield
and being at one with october. find
themselves the younger for drinking
their fill of this months grateful ozone.
For the which, thanks be to the mod
ern awakening to the great truth that
when God made the country lie made
1t to be enjoyed not merely for brief
season of summer, but from one years
end to another.
"The Spur" a periodical devoted to
outdoor sports. sees October In this
spirit A writer In it's pages this month
declares that 1t seems as If October of
all the dozen months were the one
meant TO give the most enjoyment, that
just as truly as June does it bring per-
feet days--days when the sunshine
warns but does not enervate and the
tang in the air, so clear that the far
away hills appear near, cools without
chilling.
At least there Is no month like Octo-
Der when it is October. To fare forth
into the open air on any plea whatever
is sheer Joy The hunter feels this
joy as with dog and gun he starts in
pursuit of the covey of quail that he
has had his eye on these threa IN onths,
the while he cherished the hope that
no one would get the better of him
by a shot. 1t quickens the blood in the
golfers being His month Of months
this is, pc pe~haps: at any rate. Vt W ould
be IL 1t had days of summer length.
The rider, too. rejoices that October
has come Even so the happy pedes-
trian. There is JOY in the seeing of
all that 1t is given to them to see in
the great out of doors when October
comes. Only the first leaves have fall
len. Turned and turning foliage paints
the hillsides, with shade after shade of
red and yellow; the stretches of scrub
are transformed by the bronze of the
oak, while In field and by wayside are
goldenrod and fringed gentian. Color,
color everywhere, with always the soft
browns SO that the eve may not tire
of too much yellow and red.
It may be that Lowell himself first
thought "What Is so rare as a day in
October?" 1t is not true that q poet
more than once has been Obliged to
sacrifice the preciseness of truth to tho
preciseness of euphony?
SOCIETY AT
STATE FAIR
When a state fair reaches its fif-
teenth anniversary 1t is entitled IL re-
spect and announcement and fot that
length of time the autumn institution
out at the Fair grounds has heen in
existence. Society here always marks
It with approval Beginning Wednes-
day and continuing week. the fair