The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-05-10
mistellaneons SelettiGlls.
The Flax; or The Story of a Life.
FROM THE DANISH OF HANS CHRISTIAN
ANDERSEN.

The Flax stood in full bloom; its flowers
were ofa delicate blue, soft as the wig OF
moth, but far more beautiful The sun shone
upon the Flax, and the summer rain descend
ed on il; and this was good for the plant,
even as it is for alittle child 10 be bathed in
pure " ater and then to receive its fond
mothers kiss. The babe looks all the more
lovely afterwards, and thus it Was also with
the Flax. 1.
People say that am growing so tall and
so beautiful" said the Flax, "and that the
finest and best linen may be woven out OF
me: now am l not happyf Surely, l am the
most fortunate of BEINGS for all is bright and
well with me now; and hereafter may hope
also to be useful to others. How joyous is
the sunshine, and how refreshing the rainl
Oil am unspeakably happy, the very hap
pisst Of beingsl" ~ = ( eUtf
Eyes, yes, p replied a stout twig in the
neighboriug hedge, ''you know nothing Of
the world; but we do, to our cost, when our
knotted stems are cut down. So saying
he creaked out the following old rhy me:
"Schnipp- -schnapp-schnerre.
Basselerre,
The song is o'er." ~ a@if5z
NAY, it is not o'er," rejoined the Flax;
.'fn the morning the sun shines, or else the
falling rain does me good. feel that ] am
growing, and that my flowers ares still in
bloom. Obi | am SO happy, SO very hap
py T. , .
ing the Flax by its head, pulled it up by the
roots: this was painful. Then it was laid in
water that it might become soft; and then il
was placed over slow fire as ii it was to be
baked. Oil 1t was sad work ,-
"One can, not expect to be always pros
perous," said the Flax; zone must suffer
now and then, and thereby, perhaps, little
wisdom may be gained"
But matters seemed TO grow worse and
worse: after the Flax had been soaked and
baked, it was beaten and hacked; neither
could it guess the meaning of all that wal
inflicted. At length, it was placed on the
spinning -wheel-whizz, whiEzl 1t. was moi
easy to collect ones thoughts in this posi-
ton.
q have been extremely happy" though
the patient Flax amid all its sufferiugs; "Ont
ought to be coptented with good things out
has already enjoyed. Contentment, cou
tentment obi" The words were scarcely
uttered when the well-spun thread was pla
ced iu the loom. The whole of the Flax
even to the last fibre, was used in the manu-
facture of a single piece of fiue linen.
ssWell, this is really extraordinary; Ineye
could have expected It'll How favorable
fortune is to mel The old thorn-stick was
sad croaker when he said:
'Schnipp-schnapp- schnerre
Bssselerre,
The song ia o'pr
For the song is by no means DER; indeed; i
seems only to be begun. 1t is really won
derfuli What have l ever done to deserve 8
happy fate7 Obi am the most fortunat
of beings. My web is so stout and SO fine
SO white and SO smootht This is quite an
other thing from being merely plant, bear
ing flowers indeed, but INTENDED by man
and watered only when the rain fell upol
me from heaven, Now ] am waited on ant
cared for Each morning does the neat
handed maiden turn me over; and in tn
evening l receive a rain bath out Of th'
bright green watering pot; yes, and the pas
tors lady herself has been talking of me, ant
says am the best piece in the whole parish
l could not be happier than l am."
Now was the piece of linen carried int
the house; then submitted to the scissors
ohl how ungratefully was it nicked and Gu
and stitched with needlesl That was by n,
means agreeable; but from this single piec'
were cut twelve linen garments OF that sor
which one does not gladly name, but whicl
all men desire to possess. Of course sucl
garments, twelve were cut out and quickly
made. tFrG
"Only see, nowl l have at length becom
really useful; and this, surely, was my tru
destiny. Oil what blessing is this, that
am allowed to produce something that j
needful to mankind; and when one is permit
ted to do so, it is source of the purest salts
faction. Weare now become twelve pieces
and yet we are all one and the same. w
are dozenl What extraordinary good for
tune is thisl"
And years passed on, and the linen wa
now quite worn out. ~
"I shall very soon be laid side," saic
each one of the garments; 81 would gladly
have lasted longer, but one must not desir
impossibilities."
So they were torn into strips and shreds
and it seemed as if, now, all was over will
the worn-out linen, for it was hacked ant
soaked and baked; and what more it scarcel7
knew until it became fine white paper
"Well, this is surprises delightful sur
prisnl" said the paper. 9Now am still fine
than before; and of course shall be writer
upon. Yesl Who can tell what gloriou
thoughts may be inscribed upon my leaves
This is, indeed, an unlooked-for happinessI'
And so it turned out, truly, that the mos
beautiful tales and poetry were written upol
the paper; and some of it came into tn
hands ofa worthy pastor-that was pecu
liar happiness; for many people listened {
the words he had noted down, and they wer
SO wise and so good that they made me
wiser and better than they were before.
blessing seemed to rest upon the words writ
ten on this paper.
''This is more than ever l ventured I
dream of when I was simple little blu
-four growing in the field. How, indeet