University of Virginia Library

October

How beautiful the sight of woods still fair,
That yet no heavy frost, nor rain has harmed;
And warm as summer is the autumn air,
As by some spell its chilly winds were charmed!
Still blooms the golden rod in many a glade,
And asters open still their mild blue eyes;
The Spring beyond its season long delayed,
The added warmth of Autumn well supplies.
'Tis pleasant, 'mid the grove's rich colored light,
Along its paths with musing mind to stray;
And meditate on Autumn's glories bright,
Which fully compensate the Spring's delay;
Learning a lesson of the varied year
Of patience, trust, and hope the heart to cheer.
Poem No. 177; October 1873