Flowers of Autumn 



and if we may learn a parable from the season I 

 should say it is not, or need not be, a dreary 

 season in human life. If a man will of set purpose 

 lament over the approach of his autumn or its 

 actual arrival, living only on past remembrances 

 and fading memories, it is open to him to do so, 

 but he must take the consequences on himself 

 and blame himself more than the unavoidable 

 time of life. To those who like to look on the 

 bright side of things, I would recommend a very 

 beautiful chapter, entitled, " 1'Automne," in the 

 " Connaisance de Tame," of M. Gratry. It gives 

 in a very striking way the advantages and dis- 

 advantages of the autumn of our lives, with a 

 large balance in favour of the advantages. No, 

 I cannot allow that the " calm decay " of autumn 

 is altogether dreary ; true it is that the flowers 

 have passed away, and the swallows are gone : 

 but flowers and swallows do not make up the 

 whole of life, and " Time will bring on Summer," 

 and the swallows will return. 



37 



