Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-12-10
The Palm Tree.


to whisper in the breeze ancl
make the hot air seem cooler
10 flowers by the roadside rs
gather, not even any roads, on
~ a sort of track between the
fsand-heaps. hichever Na+
You looked, except up into the
sky, yOn could see nothing but
sand, and even the sky was not
blue ike ours, but with such II
hot glare in it, there was no
comfort above any more than
below.
All at once the-scene changed.
On turning round one Of the
sand-hills what a cry of ioy
burst from the whole colBpanyF
just before them in the Yallev
stood a grove Of palm-trees!
If they could have heard it per-
haps they would have held their
tall, feathery heads higher than
before, but, as it was, they only
bent down lower, and in a low
ing whisperba babe the weary trav-
lellers welcome to their grateful
shade. And as one after anoth-
er threw themselves down be-
meath it and drank of the sweet.
cool stream which commonly
springs up under the palm trees,
they said it were worth all the
heat and the dust and the sand
hills to tIste at last the refresh
ment of such a green spot as
this.
They might web praise If.
for God has set the palm-tree
over against the desert. 1t
fourishes where every tree of
ours would wither and die. Tall
and straight like a pillar, rising
seventy or eighty feet, it is
crowned at the top with grace
ful branching tuft, and as it
mostly grows in large clusters
close together it makes an eff
fectual shelter from the burn
ing sun. Its fruit, the dates
which you have sometimes
seen, are sweet, and arc made
into cakes, and this is the chief
provision Of the Arab through
all his wanderings. Camels are
fed with the stones, from the
juice and sap is obtained a spir-
it which serves for drink, the
wood is used for building pur-
poses and the leaves for thatch-
ing, and the fibres of the tree
for sacks and cords. The Young
leaves are also eaten boiled. So
the Arab in his sandy
desert soil has neither our oaks
ror our waving grain, what
it when he possesses
hemp and timber, vineyard,
meadow, and cornfield, wheat
and barley, fruit and vegetable,
all in one beautiful tree? 1t is
the Great Creator making up
on one side for what He with
holds on the other
Once an English gentleman
in Syria took home with him to
England an Arab woman as
nurse to his child. She STAYED
with him four years, and then
went back to her own country.
Her people crowded around. her
and she told them wonderful
tales of the land across the sea.
She described the beauty Of
the green English fields, OF the
white cottages scattered among
them, and of the poor mans
happy comfort within them
The Arabs listened and they
sighed. "What favored land"
hey said; "we are full Of envy.
We would fain be as blessed as
.hese far-of islanders"
"But there's one thing l ought
10 say" continued the nurse, II
never saw a single palm-tree all
the country"
The Arabs stood in asionish-
nent. as it possible? Are
you sure?" they inquired ca
yerly.
"Perfectly sure replied tine
Nurse. "High and low, up and
lown, / looked for one for four
-ears, but l looked in vain"
And now her countrymen's
.nvy was turned into pity for
he unfortunate people who
NEW not the best thing in ali
he world worth knowing
Poor English wanderers, . they
'aid, as they went their way;
they are indeed unhappy! But
rod is great, and He has given
IS the palm-tree."
1t is the same old story; it j.
what Solomon had found ont So
many years ago, when he said.
Sod hath also set the one over
against the other.
IN Wisconsin, the o!her dsy,A