Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-11-07
"a STORY OF LEAVES.
BY EDrrHrAIMEK.

4 BY EDITH RALMEK.
Not many thousand miles away, in
one of the country towns Of New Eng
land, there stands . great forest The
ground is covered with a thick carpet OF
soft moss and fallen leaves, so soft that
hound and hunter might listen in vain
for football of fox or rabbit, if it were
not for the dry leaves and cracking
cones that might happen to lie in the
way.
1t is far away from any houses, so
THAT the village children seldom visit il
in search of nuts Or berries; but there
are all the more left for the bright-eyed
rabbits that peep out from beneath the
fallen trees, and the saucy little chip
munks that scold and chatter up in the
branches.
The forest was once all pine, fir, and
hemIock, and, where these old trees
have not been molested, their branches
have grown together so thickly that the
brightest and most inquisitive star can
not peer through; but in some places
these oldest. inhabitants have been cut
down for timber and new growth of
another sort has sprung up.
In one of these sunny spots of the
forest stood group of young oaks,
naples and birches, bowling low, as the
wind passed by, and gaily fluttering
their fresh leaves in the sunshine.
1t was in the merry spring time, and
they were all arrayed in delicate suits
of pale green, some of them fringed,
tasselled and embroidered in the most
fanciful manner imaginable.
Not content with being simply gay
and glad in the beautiful spring, these
newcomers tossed their graceI ul heads
and looked scornfully at the dark ever
greens around; for the frs and hem
locks had only few green buds in their
hair, and the pines had not even these.
"Look ~ cried a gay young birch to
its neighbor, the red maple, 'lOok at
those old Puritan pines in the dull
dresses they have worn all winter. For
my part, 1 don't mean to associate with
such stupid, old-fashioned trees. wish
that they didn't live so near Us. How
pretty the forest would look without
them ?''
''Indeed it would" said tue maple,
shaking out her clusters of scarlet flow
ers; but of course they know no better.
They are us old as the hills" /
al don't see how we can practice our
glees' and choruses with those solemn
pines for neighbors.'' exclaimed sill
verleaf poplar. "They will drown all
our voices with their psalm tunes, for
they sing nothing else" ."-. t54
So all the new trees put their heads
together, and agreed to slight the poor
pines as much as possible. They ridi-
culed and vexed them in every way.
They even coaxed the birds not to build
their nests in the branches, as they used
to do, telling them that the little ones
would die for want Of sunshine.
Thus the summer passed by and the
glorious autumn days came, with their
clear skies and bright sunsets, wrapping
the mountains in purple haze, and
throwing a softer light into the old for
est. The naples were the first to throw
off their green summer dresses for more
gorgeous robes OF scarlet and gold, and
fiame-color. The oaks followed, with
their glowing crimson; then the birches
and poplars and beeches chose different
shades Of yellow, varying from straw
color to tawny gold. Still the pines
and hemlocks kept their modest green,
in spite of scornful laughter and un-
kind speeches. -l.1s-..
"Ne wonder,'' said the shining beech
in tone loud enongh for all to hear,
athat they have been so afraid of the
sunshine all summer. They could not
afford to fade the only dresses they will
ever have 4t. saars
All these things made the pines feel
very sad, and their song was low and
mournful; sometimes iJ sounded like
sobbing, but they never said any harsh
things in return and only seemed to
draw back farther into the shadow.
| The wind tried to comfort them by
praising their sweet music, and he is a
capital judge to be sure! But nothing
could console them tor the loss of the
little songsters that used to build their
nests among the swaying branches.
The birds were sorry after it was too
late; for there We're 10 cradles like the
pine-boughs, and the little nestlings
missed the soft lullaby thatalways sung
them to sleep.
BY and by the days grew shorter and
the nights colder. The bright colors of
the oaks and naples turned to dull
brown, and they shivered in their thin
dresses, and the wind whistled mourn
fully through them. The heavy frosts
grew heavier, and the dropping of nuts
could be distinctly heard OH the frozen
ground.
At last came sharper, fiercer blast
than any before, rushing down from the
bleak mountain tops, filling the airwitll
snow flakes and stripping the last leaves
from the proud trees. I't.
The brave old pines, in their warm
green cloaks, felt not the icy breath
but stretched out glad arms of welcome
to the fluttering snow-tiakes, and an
swered back the rushing winds will
music like the waves of the sea.
As they saw the slender maple:
shrinking and bending before the storm
that passed over their own heads S,
lightly, their great, kind hearts wer'
touched, and they spread ont thei
branches, protectingly, and prayed tn
wind to blow less keenly.
Forgive us, forgive us!'. sobbed TIN
repentant trees, "and love us again."
"Love us again, love us again" ech