POPLAR. 245 



become of a brilliant yellow ; but more generally they do 

 not contribute to the beauty of autumnal hues. Moralists 

 in all ages have spoken of the sere and autumn leaf, as 

 emblematic of all changing forms of material existence. 

 Leaves scattered by the wind, say they, offer in their 

 desolation a salutary admonition to the children of mor- 

 tality ; for thus do their pleasures and pursuits change 

 with years ; youth and beauty, even fortune and in- 

 tellect, resemble the dull poplar leaf, and waste and wither 

 on the ground. Silent but impressive monitors are they, 

 which warn of coming winter, even the winter of life, 

 when the daughters of music shall be brought low, like 

 warbling birds on trees, that pass away when their branches 

 become leafless, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain 

 because of the hard and frozen soil. 



Such are the words which moralists have spoken, em- 

 bodying sad thoughts, and associating them with fallen 

 leaves. They forget, methinks, that our leaves have an 

 important ministry to perform ; that when fallen from their 



