The Sierra citizen., 1855-01-13
Written for the Sierra Citizen.
Autobiography Of an Acorn.
BY FLORENCE.

By FLORENCE.
Twas night! night in winter, cold,
stormy and cherries! The wind howled
in angry and mournful dirges across the
plain, and upon the mountains; giant trees
were uprooted and hurled headlong, leaf.
less and branches to the ground. The
lightning's fash gave shape and form Of
life to inanimate things, and thunder loud
and deep, reverberated among the angry
clouds.
That night bears record of my humila-
ton. That night / was shaken from my
parent tree, and lay PROSTATE and help
less upon the ground, half dead with ter
ror and vexation.
Never shall I forget the feeling Of in.
dignation which took possession of me,
when recovering myself 1 saw scorn,
derision and contempt, depicted on the
countenances of my more fortunate breth-
rem. Never shall I forget the envy which
absorbed all other feeling, when at night
they were rocked to sleep in the oaks out
spreading arms, and protected from the
wintry blast by bright, soft foliage, to
which henceforth, must be stranger.
In an evil hour l was plunged from the
height of felicity to the depth of despair.
No brightness in the present, and not one
ray ofhope to illumine the dark future.
No friendly voice greeted my ear, no
kind hand was extended, no tears shed for
my untimely fate, and among all my lordly
companions, not one cast down plying
look upon the poor, unfortunate acorn.
Alas for nee, born to be loved little
while, then to be caressed no more. Hook
ed around me in vain for some congenial
spirit from whom could learn lesson of
resignation. The withered leaves of au-
tumn were fast returning to dust, and upon
the face of nature seemed written the word,
Mortality.
A few of my fallen companions lifted
their wan eyes to mine, but meeting there
no kind response, laid their cheeks to the
cold earth and expired. Then / wished,
and wept, and prayed, like them to rest in
forgetfulness, prefering oblivion to an ex-
istence whose only hope was death. As
wanderer amid painless and untrodden
SHOWS, sinks at length lifeless and be-
numbed with cold, so did feeling of un-
consciousness steal gradually upon my
senses, and "sleep that twin brother of
death," reigned supreme over my being.
How long Iremained thus lost to my own
misery, and deaf to the rude jeers of my
companions, I know not, but in my dreams
l was blest- The sun seemed to shine
with unusual hrilliancy, rejecting light,
warmth and happiness upon all things
The fields were again clothed in beautiful
verdure- Myriads of flowers, white, blue
and red, were springing amid the velvet
grass, letting their delicious sweetness out
on every breeze. Birds Of gay plumage
swarmed the air, and made it vocal with
redundancy Of song; they folded their CLOS
sy wings to rest, and nestled lovingly amid
my branches, for / seemed no longer >
lowly acorn, but mighty oak, the king
Of the forest. I was not lonely, for the
silEery laugh of childhood gladdeued my
heart, mingled with soft, low words Of ten
derness, whispered beneath my shade, in
tended for the ears Of lovers only.
I was at length awakened from this de-
licious dream by a voice; it was the voice
of nature, and it tins addressed me =
rAwake! oh, sluggard, why sleepest thou
Arouse thee to action thou hast duties
to perform. Know then, that within thy
tiny shell, is the germ Of future greatness,
that which shall exalt thee above thy fell
lows" m e "
The voice ceased, and I felt the invisible
presence had left me, but not alone, for
with thrill of indescribahle pleasure, my
eyes rested for the first time, upon the
tender form of my little protege, Just
springing into life, and beauty. from my
side, and unfolding its tiny leaves to re-
ceive the cheering sunbeams. IIhad not
before noticed that black and angry clouds
had given place to those Of silver and
deecy blue; that thunder, lightning and
wind was succeeded by q peaceful calm,
while Thousand invisible beings seemed
hoverihng in the All. and Whispering, TN
d Summer" .s 'a -.
| - Nh. Brown i much better