Year: 1869

Dear Home Journai-Last night


CHANGED to read in the good book abouI


a certain large army that went out tc


meet an advancing king; but, contin-


ued the chronicle, two hundred re-


manned behind with the stuff. Now, il


l were the coming woman, l think
should preach from this text to all city
people, who have rushed back to pave
ments and police. leaving so much
charming ''stuff," which rightfully be-
longs as dessert to their long mid
summer dinner. Maybe they think
July and August sufficient length ol
time for reading natures book, but un-
less they have turned its leaves with a
garden rake, and feasted their eyes on
its gorgeous cbromoes of scarlet and
purple, only one half the story has been
told them. The preface is all very
well, but what pity to miss the de-
velopment!


The month of October has very
cheerful. rainbow-c -colored way of ac
ceding to Jack Frost's proposals.
though she invariably finds his "Wilt
thou?" rather withering thing in the
end. There is maple under my win
dow, which has been carrying on des-
perate Irritation with his lordship, and
considerable GOODNESS was necessary on
his part before the affair was settled
His first and more delicate attempts
were received with the utmost disdain;
but one morning l noticed she had
reached him daintily the tips of her
fingers, and within twenty four hours
the bold fellow had coaxed her into
donning scarlet slippers and cloak; l
doubt not he suggested an eiopement
to the moon. So there poor Miss
Maple sits, all ablaze with Indignation
that he has quite forsaken her, and is
now paying assiduous court to another
of the family over the way. l think it
would be kind in her to send little
bird to whisper word of warning, but
maybe even the robin, whom she has
sheltered through seed-time and har-
vest, has forgotten the matter of obi
cation, and stolen away before rent
day.


Dear friends in the city, l wish you
could steal away from your hard
sombre streets, and take a ramble
through the woods, by the lake, where
the trees are all in such a merry mood,
winking and blinking in the most CO.
quettish manner at their bright refec-
ton in the water. Dame nature gave a
theatrical entertainment here, at the
"Fox and Crow" a short time since,
which SO delighted the chestnut burrs
that they split their sides with laugh
ter, and never discovered their mistake
till they saw the squirrels making off
with the much coveted treasure.


If one could interpret all the wood
land rustlings and whisperings. l think
deal of love making would be brought
to light; surely, maiden never blushed
more deeply, nor looked more as a
bride adorned for her husband, than
some of these forest beauties. Even
yonder stiff old Fir has forgotten his
rheumatism, and is trying to play the
agreeable to the delicate Larch This
is the city fashion, l suppose, for we
are assured that it is the rage now for
girls to marry their grandfathers, and
perhaps poor little Larch thinks if she
can only attain the al titude of her ad-
mirer, the brightest sunbeams will
smile upon her, and ever fragrant
breezes will wait her the tenderest love
songs.


How lovingly the soft autumn wind
woos the leaves, that drop so painlessly
from long clung-to branches--drop SO
contentedly, with their glory still upon
them, and never an echoing "Why?"
And we, to whom life is either wither-
ing or ripening, should crowd into each
hour an overflow of good deeds and
pleasant words, for the sake Of present
Joy, and that when the "Shadow of the
Valley" chills and loosens our hold
upon earth, all beauty of heart and soul
shall have grown brighter and bright
er, even unto the perfect day.