The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-04-19
! Editorial II
~ Comment
THE DIMINISHING YEARS
tBy Roland r. Patten)

(By Roland r. Patten)
I can recall the first season when
the change from summer to fall, and
especially from fall to winter, made
a permanent impress on my mind.
To awake one morning and find the
brown of the field and the drab OF
the roadway hidden by q covering
giistenng white was n marvel which
of course has never been repeated.
was curious to see il other boys and
girls, and even older people would be
as astonished as | was. My disappoint-
Inent was rather keen TO find that
in most instances they were not. To
me it was an awesome and stupen-
dous change. | could not under
stand why my parents did not regard
1t as of more Importance. | was
consoled little to watch the hens
come to the barn door when first
fopened, take step or two out in the
snow, and turn back with more or
less protest. 1T was plain that they,
like myself. treasured no memory Of
a previous snowfall. noted also
our favorite pussy seemed not entire
ly familiar with the properties of
this strange white material, She hes
itated about stepping OUT into it, and
when she did venture forth would stop
and hold up first one paw and then
the other in an attitude of protest
against it's unusual and unwelcome
temperature.
A good many winters (guess |
won't say just how many have come
and gone since the event above des-
cribed. No first snowfall has ever
seemed quite like that one. Then
and for a few years thereafter the
coming of snow pressaged a winter
season which seemed of interminable
length. Goodness knows, winters
seem long enough now, but after all
they go like flash. have come to
recognize the wisdom of the saying
that 1.-THE best thing about late fall
in Maine, is that 1t is only short time
before spring
When l got old enough to help out
on the storm windows | used to be
comforted for the rather cold and ar
.duous task by thinking they were in
place for long time, and my reward
would come in protection from Win
ters cold for many, many months.
Now, when | put on double windows
| sigh and think: well, the win
ter is so short, it hardly pays to go
to all this bother" | have the same
feeling when | come to take them Off
in the spring: whats the use; |
will hardly get them put away before
the time comes to get them out
again. AS a matter of fact, quite in
accordance with this idea, there are
good many double windows ON my
home that stay there the year round.
In entire sympathy with this ! ad-
mire the thought of friend who tells
me that he is only truly happy for
seven days every year. This delight
full period for him comes after the
double windows are removed and be
fore the screens are put on. He re
marks that these few days when you
can throw cat through an open win
dow without striking a screen or the
glass put there for extra winter pro-
lection and when you can walk in and
out of your home without banging
either storm or screen door, constitute
life's one annual. happy period.
But no doubt we shall continue in
definitely this annual round of
screen doors and storm windows while
the seasons grow shorter and short
err. The winters and summers can
not be robbed either of their variety
or their pleasure simply because they
rush upon us a little faster.