Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-09-05
fresiOs Beaolng.
From the Child's Paper.
Our Pet Tree.

One Of the handsomest trees on our grounds
Is a mountain ash. 1t is our pet tree. It's
1.-THE and graceful branches its sprays of
wayy leaves its clusters Of white June BIOS
aoms, like a yourg bride its rich coronet of
red berries in harvest time its airy foliage,
lstting through the blue sky, yet dropping
cool shadows on the grass. Year by year
We watched its growth from the parlor win
dow, which il shaded from the hot breath Of
summer afternoons; from the kitchen win
dow, where il stood in full sight on the green
sporting with the breezy air and slant sun
shine; from the chamber window, from the
time i. first tipped upstairs view. Our
mountain ash was the family pet. Baldwins,
greetings, white-hearts, and black hearts had
no stronger hold on the family taste.
This year, gradually, day by day, week by
week, we came to feel it did not look as we'll
as usual. 1t leaved out fully? yes, Oh yes.
Branches dead 2 no. Not bent, or topping,
or winter-killed, or lightning.struck2 no, it
bore no marks of injury. 1t was as green
and as graceful, it had as much of heaven
and earth, as ever n year before. And yet
1t did not look right We examined the
bark and branches, and found nothing
You are suspicious; you borrow trouble
your tree is well enough" Something is
the matter with that tree we said, sure 4;
something is working death in it." People
looked at il, and took hold Of it, and said,
''Pshaw it is growing as finely as ever it
is all in your eye" But we sometimes get
impressions, and correct impressions Of per.
sons different from what they at first appear,
and yet we cannot tell how we get them.
There is a sort Of Influence they let off
which tells the truth upon them without
their knowing it. This is sometimes called
unconscious influence. 1t was pretty much
so with our tree. 1t kept up a good appear
ance, but there was a blight on it, and W,
felt livery faint, to be sure, but still
blight.
One day, STOPPING down, some little par
ticles of sawdust round the roots of the as
caught my eye; grains Of sawdust here an
grains OF sawdust there. Taking out IN
knife, and getting down on my hands an
knees, | closely examined the lower part
the trunk, down by the roots, and soon
spied a little hole here and q little hole thei
two, three, four, fivel All, there was tn
eecretl The borerS were in our tree, slow
but surely working its destruction. Yo
have seen them. The borer is a small fiji
white worm, with a black head, which gnay
into the heart OF a tree and makes q hole
lay It's eggs IN. Their teeth must be but pi
points, yet it is amazing what mischief thu
can do. They are death to a tree, for ali h
use it will ever be.
Well, boys, this madf me think of the md
al borers that sometimes worm their vay
70 character a bosom sin, a bad habit
secret dishonesty. A youth may appear
fair as ever, his reputation may be as spotle
the world atlarge may suspcstnothing wron
but IL the borers are at work, he can't hi
itlong. The don't care swagger, the ca
less, irreverent tone, the restless eve. I
reckless spirit, that unconscious infue,
which goes out Of a person whether he v
or no, win certainly disclose II, and we !
with sorrow, "The borers, the borers.
at work"
There is . young man Of my acauainta
the JOY Of his parents and the idol of frien
with a fine mind, fine education, fine \,
poets, a fine fellow every way, beginning
under every advantage. After a while
more discerning friends noticed a chang
hin precisely what it was they could
tell, but there was a change, and q chs
br the worse. What borer was gnawin