The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-09-13
Old Trees i'm NremOriam.

Old Trees IN MemOr1am.
We extract the following beautiful and
truthful thonghts from "The Century
Plant" a story in Harper's Monthly for
June.
How much more strongly our memo
ries fasten upon old trees than upon any
thing else In nature that we can think Oft
In this res pect they are very like moss,
which hardly ever grows where it cant
De pretty sure of long, undisturbed
resting place 1t avoids the fences and
the door-posts that man makes, becauss
FIRE and the freaks of rebuilding and all
other sorts of caprice or change can un-
settle it from them, but seems to know
that old trees are spared even in their de-
cav and that it can have leave 10 cover
them with beautiful carpet and cushion
long after they are dead almost down to
the very heart. It's just the same way
with our memories. There is sort of
instinct which makes Us associate SO
many of our happlnesses and pains and
all sorts of feelings and thoughts with the
trees which were about US when we first
had them As if we knew that though
the roads where we walked, and the gates
we opened, and the seats we sat on, and
the thresholds where we stood, may all
be changed, perhaps quite obIiterated;
and the very rocks pried up and taken
away to build houses with or to get rid
of their distractions; the trees we saw
and loved will probably last as long as
we, and be safe clinging place for men,
ory to stay by, and dear home for the
heart to come back to, long after every
thing else is gone, and even when we are
very old. There was my old grandfather,
he died in his ninety-seeond year, and the
very day that his snowy head disappear.
ed from our little home circle at my
mothers, just Ikea little of the real
snow that had been left till April, melt
ing away quietly all at once, he asked to
be carried in his chair out on to the lawn
in front Of the old homestead. Then he
DtgaG taking 60 hpnsen, but yvt 1oud
enough for US to hear, and in such way
as brought tears to our eyes, can tell
you. There said he, is the elm that
my father planted when | was ten years
old. All. ah. good old man, he's gone,'
H waited few numents, and then said
he, That great white ash l set out on
my wedding day, when my Mabel had
just got hcmc with me. | said it should
be her tree, and she laughed and clapped
her hands. Oh, how brown her hair
was, and how bright her eyes were -
she's gone, an ah! To Us children and
grandchildren, who first knew grandmother
when her hair was silycr-white, and she
told us little ones stories Of long ago old
times as we sat on stools at her feet, this
was so touching that we began to cry; but
mother more especially, as if her heart
would break. Then grandfather went on,
'Thot row Of locusts | set one after anoth-
er as the children were born-those first
ten by the gate when John was two DAYS
old: he's gone too, Loor boy crowned
far, far, away at sea | told him not to
60, did; but boys will be boys, and now
he isn't here to remember as | do, how I
used to hold him up to pick off the first
sweet-smelling blossoms that came on
those locusts, and the pods with the little
beans in them, that he called babies in q
cradle, asking me if God put those little
babies to bed there, and if they would
grow up and get to be big trees, aud
thank Him for taking such care of them
Well, he's gone, gone; they're almost ALI
gone. shall be gone too, pretty soon
Then, while we all wiped our eyes as
quickly as possible, so that he shouldn't
see the tears in them, he turned around,
and said: Take me in dears, please
I've been out here. long enough We
obeyed him, and that afternoon he was
gone too"