THE ADVENT OF SPRING

Evening Star, Issue 15906, 11 September 1915, Page 2

THE ADVENT OF SPRING

[By Rev. James Milne, M.A.]

Again the zephyrs come, the gentle breezes blow. Winter has gone, and the spring duly appears. There is the stirring all around in Nature of awakened life. There is beauty of color, and sweetsmelling fragrance, and singing of birds all to proclaim that the great miracle of/ the spiingtide is once more being wrought, that again life and its fullness are being appraised of Nature. There comes again the clarion call for the very lust of life, and hope is in the air. The trees deck themselves with freshness of greenery, while the birds twitter in their branches. The fruit trees are a very picture of delicacy in pink and white, while the bees hum amongst their blossom. The rain now falls gently with soft patter upon house-top, leaves, or lawn, and after it the very 6oil smells of sweetness. _ It is at this season of the year, and at this time only,, that flowers arid shrubs planted in the earth spring so quickly that they can almost be seen to grow. Long before the time of its coming, spring suggests the fullness of autumn through its inspiration to hope, its generous gift of what makes for the bounty and joy of living. So spring is the pairing time, the sweet season of love, without which how dreary, if not impossible,.should be life. It is the mating time, when birds instinctively take to nesting. It is especially the time of inspiration for the telling of t the old story of man and maid, who,' choosing each other as helpmeets and covenanting as to bonds of wedlock, unite in marriage to make the dearest of earthly possessions, a home. But is the springtime in any sense improvident? In its call to bounty and hopefulness, does it venture too far? Is it utterly regardless of risks and possible accidents? Sufiicie it to answer that Nature is never seen to be more healing or recuperative in power than at this season of the year. And otherwise spring is wise; for in face of her fairest and seemingly most audacious promise it may not be denied that accidents are but the exceptions which prove the rule to be otherwise. _ So, lightsome as she may look, spring is not without her serious purpose. She comes with invitation to venture, with inspiration to grand action, without which life were dead- Spring may lightly laugh, and enticingly, even lmingly, sing; but well she knows that when men cease to hope life becomes dull and grey—they die. This is why occasionally spring will laugh and smile through tears; this is why in her most lightsome song at times a break will come into her voice. And such tears and voice-breaking axe very sweet, as revealing the heart of spring. How beautiful the lawn in the springtime, when, the tempest over, the sun shines gloriously down to be reflected in ever-varying hue from countless raindrops! But while it lasted that tempest savored more of winter than of summer; it spoke more of the past than ■ of the future. Thus spring, while beckoning on to summer and autumn, is not absolutely forgetful of what is behind all—the winter. This is why, when the sun is on the lawn and after the rain, spring yet remains joyous, but smiles through tears. Tile tempos}., too, sadly interrupted ihe choristers in the tr>}es, and its first pattering drops changed" to a harsh buzz the humming of the bees amongst the fruit blossom. But hear the birds when the rain is over, and they have just had time to plume their feathers from the wet, how they chirrup and twitter and 6ing! Hear again that harmonious hum from ihe pink and white of the fruit trees, when bees and other bisects rejoice at the passing rain cloud and welcome the sun! This break in Nature's song, which sings so bravely and joyously, is welcome for what it indicates, ft surely proclaims that this season, blithesome and gay, inspiring to hopo and gladness, calling to venture and daring, is yet not without feeling and sense" of responsibility. It declares that spring has a heart, and is ns ready to weep at the grief of mortals over the rigors of the winter as. to laugh and rejoice with them in prospect of summer and autumn. But it should not be lost eight of, the transient nature of the spring- It is as abpd on the wing, passing, fleeting past. No_ sooner do the pear trees blossom into white lustre in the' glowing sun thaai v/inter seems spread snowy white in fallen petals at their feet, The peaches put on their pink array but to cast it to the earth. And i 6 there any better picture of that freedom which men learn to Jove as liberty than a bird upon the wing! Men have gladly suffered for freedom; they have laid down their lives for liberty as making for a larger life. Spring, then, in her swift transition, in so cjmickly passing, is in the grand way. In her beauteous yet rushing flight to give place to summer, she_ proclaims herself to be heroic, martyr-minded, nobly freo. Yet she loves life, is full, in fact, of the very lust. of living. Why, then, does she appar-' enfcly rush to'death? ft is,because she

dies to live, and knows it. She knows, while quickly speeds her course, of the coming of the sunny summer ; her heart, while she gaily sings, is in the golden autumntide; after winter she feels she shall come again. Thus the mi.'sion of spring is to inspire encourage, uplift; and her song is essentially of hope. But that hope, so buoyant, steadfast, strong, is no mere sentiment. Ic , . r ? sts > Js based upon a living faith, •ft *S ?P rin 2 k not otherwise than life itself. Science, in homely guise and with true humility, steps in to tell just what she has learned : that life is for the living so _ long as touch with environment is maintained. Spring may nof gainsay this tact of death no more than she may deny the coming of winter; but in shining garments ehe peals. forth her song of hope, and rushes on in faith to prove how very independent life is of environment. This much is manifest in the summer, when spring has more immediately passed, in the autumn which follows, in ihe, wintertide Iteelf, but especially after winter when she comes again. So from hope to faith, and from faith to Me itself, spring points through inspiration of her song. Her ultimate and clear call is to live! She comes again to make plain to mortals that the hope she so strangely yet powerfully infuses within the heart of man, through her testimony in «a™. is an emanation from life itself. Through her very gladsoraenese and spit of venture, in full assurance ehe insists that the bridge between this hope and hfe is a faith which is not discernible front life itself Assuredlv her call is to life. Live to live! is her message, thrilling with life. 6 What of man, in resoonse? Will he weep at sight of falling spring blossom, or think of autumn and its fruit? Will he sigh when the birds cease their singina and even the nest is forsaken, or will he can he, believe that spring will come again.' feprmg comes and goes, vet comes again; wherefore she would not be delayed in her passing. For thus to-pass is of the very fudness of living. So pass and com© again the spring!