The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-07-23
WisceiIaDeops.
Trees.


Did it ever strike you all OF once"
saws n. p. Willis, in some of his letters,
shat a tree is very beautiful thing"
One must have had sudden sight Of a
tree. leaping out from some nook Of I'm
folding hills, like knight in aTmor, and
crouching back egain in the shut of a
transient perspective, TO know what Will
lis meaDs.
Or there are kours-list!ess hours of
trance-which translate all things to the
open heaven of the soul-when you shall
lie by an open window and watch the
sun go down through the thick branches
of tree, aud see it swell and redden till
it almost bursts its cleaning rind with
pregnancy of glory, and drop at last like
a ripe frnit from the glded boughs; and
then with every leaf divinized by the
aureole of dying light, and with the ire
NOR of that wonderful fruition on it, the
tree shall pass into celestial vision, and
stand revealed q rapture of grace and
beauty--and you shall lie there still aud
watch it far beyond the twilight ill it
blossoms with far off sEars-aEd hence
forth you shall know the meaning of a
tree.
Out upon the naked western plains
there will loom M often against the sky,
solitary tree, whose topmost branc hes
mark the travellers way upon the far hor-
izon's edge. No man has seen that tree,
euacting the miracle of life alone in the
void Of the desert, aud etching its name
at eve upon the golden wall Of heaven,
but has been drawn towards it by sort
Of human sympathy, pnd has seen in the
nod Of It's branches, the beck Of an an
cient friend The traveller turns from his
way to seek its shrine He journeys
towards it as towards shrine and nc
matter how withered and bare its limb.
may be--no matter if Lightning has blast.
ed aud charred its trunk-he finds i: 9
very beautiful thing, locket of love on
natures breast, repeating thousand old
stories-reViying :! thousand old joys.
Yes, tree is a very beautiful thing.
Whether it losses its cr2wn OF green il
the pomp aud pride of summer, or fling.
its gauntlet of autumn leaves az our feet
or stands uncrowned or desolate, swing
ing its naked arms in wall of ghostly
sOrrow--it is always a sacredly beauti
fai thing. IL is 4 symbol of life. II il
Natures divine aspiratiou-the praye
that springs from the heart. It is foun
tain of living music, cathedral hymn
gushing up from the earth and leaping NJ
towards heaven in a torrent of spray
caught as it is falling, and suspended, By
magic, mId-air.
On! for trees! for trees to queucl
the hot glare Of noon; for vistas OF tree
to soften the hard ways Of the city,
mellow the stony stare of the apgula
facts Of life. On for the shadow Of sing
ing boughs-for the sombre cool of
roof of leaves-for some of Gods gresl
to mars Haunting white and red-for
touch of kindly nature to these mathe
NAUTICAL millions Of brick-far some dept
of physical life 10 this hypocritical sur
face smirb Of dead, dry paint.
Plant these trees for the sake Of your soul
aud the souls of those that come afte
you, fol the solace they bring to the hear
for the lessons they teach and the hope
which grow with them aud the memorie
they monument. Plant trees in You
gardens aud lawns, where their shadow
shall drapo your windows. Plant then
along the streets; plant them in the park
and rows, and wherever trees will grow
Festoon your city with living green. FL
up the air with shadows fiji it brimfu
Of beauty. And above all else, plan
trees in the hearts Of your children an
let them take root with the germ of thei
life, and Irvine round the depths of thei
natures; and arch over all their past wit
the summer joy of trees, and cover al
their life with the sweet ligion of trees