Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-01-15

4 4lf ftAi1Doldti III the iouftIisp1lme
! ilss .ei1enal Narrative, gir AZ t1l-
logi ne asSsant zafu <isiszzssonae d.s the
veg etablc ord IN South America ~
| :" Amid the Great number of curious
! phenomena which have presented them
selves 10 me in the course of my travels,
| confess there are few that have so pow
erfully affected my imagination as the
aspect of the COW tree. Whatever re-
lates TO milk, whatever REGARDS corn, in
spires an interest, which is not merely
that Of the physical knowledge of things,
| but is connected with another order of
| IDEAS and sentiments. We Can scarcely
conceive how the human rare could eX-
ist without farinaccous. substances and
withou. that nourishing Juice which the
| breast of the mother contains, and which
is appropriated TO the long feeblcness OF
the iafmt. The amylaceous matter OF
corr, the object Of religious yeneratIon
among SO many nations, ancient and mo-
dern, is diiluscd in the seeds, and dspo-
sited in the gooss OF vegetables mix,
which serves us as an aliment, APPEARS
to Us exclusively the produce Of ANIMAL
organizations. Such are the imres-
sions we have received in our earliest
infancy; such is also the source Of hat
astonishment WHICH scizes US at th as
pect Of the tree Just describcd.-It i INST
here the solemn shades Of forests, the
majestic course Of rivers, the mountains
wrapped III eternal frost, that excite our
emotion. a few drops of vegetable
Juice recall to our minds all the power
Il; lncsS ard fecundity Of nature. On the
barren fanIs OF a rock grows a tree
with coriaccous and cry leaves. It's
large wood roots can scarcely penetrate
into the stone. For several months OF
the year not a single shower moistens
It's foliage. It's branches appear dead
and dried but when its trunk is pierced,
there flows from it sweet and nourish-
ing milk, 1t is at the rising of the sun
that this vegetable fountain is most
abundant. The blacks and natives are
then seen Fastening from all quarters,
furnished with large bowls 10 receive
the milk, which grows yellow, and thick
ems at its surface. Some employ its
bowls under the tree itself, others carry
the Juice home to their children. We
seem 10 see the family of shepherd,
who distributes the mill, to his flock.
have described the sensation which
the cow tree aWak ems in the mind Of the
traveller at the first view. In examining
the physical properties of animal and
vegetable products, science displays
them as closely linked together; but it
strips them CT what is marvellous, md
perhaps also Of part OF their charnla, Of
what excited our establishment. Nothing
appears isolated the chemical prime pies
that were believed TO be peculiar to ami
mails, are found in plants a common
chain links together all organic natlrc.
w have never seen the homcW nala-
dy ofhome-ajckness So feclingly and COR
reotly described as in the subjoind ex
tract. lie jeStS at scars who never
felt wound" There are probably few
of our female Or male rcaders, who have
not, III the morning OF lie, experienced
the truth of the vulgar maxim that
" home is home, though ever SO hoacly.'
PROV. Pat.
HOME.
The pain which is felt when We
are transplanted from our native soil
wien the living branch is cut from the
parent tree---is one of the most poignant
which we have to endure through life.
There are after grieis, which wound
more deeply, which leave behind them
scars never to be efIaced, which bruise
the spirit, and sometimes break the
heart; but never do We feel SO keenly
the want Of love, and the necessity OF
being loved, and the sense of utter de-
sertlon, as when VIC first leave the haven
of home, and are, as it were, pushed off
upon the stream Of life.