St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-10-12

superb, towering, branching tree of to-
day half-puzzled reverence, akin to
that which he feels for his adult son,
who is perhaps head taller than he is
and has great deal more book learn
ing. One cannot ignore these affections
and sentiments which cling about trees.
could pity man who must cut down
tree be loved, almost as / would pity
man who must shoot a favOrite horse
or dog. But, for all that, the tree must
down, If it stands between the house
and the sun in any such way as to keep
the sun off. 1t is not question of
taste. 1t is not question of sentiment.
1t is question of life and death.
In one of these New England villages
OF which speak made thorough search,
last autumn, for lodgings. l had known
the village well fifteen years ago and
loved 1t as an autumn haunt. 1t was
then sunny and picturesque village.
L returned to find it manufacturing
town, buried in forest. Trees had
been cut down where they should have
been left uudisturbed, and their places
were filled by noisy work shops. Trees
which ought to have been either cut
down or most vigorously pruned had
u,
the streets were dark, sunless lanes.
We searched the town in vain for rooms
which wOuld have even half DAYS un-
obstructed sunshine on them. They
were not to be had; and, even if we
had had the whole town to choose from.
they could hardly have been found.
we went away, simply and solely be-
cause we could not find sunshine. We
would not expose ourselves to the risks
of living even for one month in such
unwholesome shade. Yesterday read
among the local items in one OF the
New England newspapers that all the
schools in this town had just been clos
ed, i'll consequence of the prevalence of
diphtheria among the children What
wonder? ''WhO did sin, this child or
his parents 2"
IL is the custom to rail good deal at
the New England climate; and it can
not be denied that it is harsh one.
But L believe much is charged to the
Atlantic Ocean which does not right
fully lie at its door, No doubt the sta
tistics show that the percentage of con-
sumption in the New England states is
alarmingiy large. This is especially
true of the Connecticut River towns in
Massachusetts. But these are the very
towns in which this evil of damp, sun
less houses, of which am speaking, is
seen at its worst. If only good apostle
of sunshine would arise, grid up his
loins, and go patiently fIom town to
town, reason with the fathers, and ad-
jure the mothers, and convince every
body, until, from Maine to New York
blinds were flung open and kept open
trees were cut down or trimmed high
above all the windows; every sleeping
room, every living-room kept full of
sun dried, sun-warmed, sun-purifed
air, there would be seen in one genera
ton a revolution in the health of the
country. What philanthropy it would
be Can one he suggested which would
equal it 2 The cunningest inventions,
the greatest discoveries benefit com-
paratively the few. The many toll on
just as hard, spite of the new machines ;
and the many go on just as ignorant to
the last, spite of the great discoveries /;
but the man who can once succeed in
making clear to people the way to
keep their bodies in health has brought
salvation not to bodies alone, but to
souls as well not to individuals, but
to masses.
1t is a trite quotation, the saying of
the poet, who bOasted:
''Let me make songs for the people,
and care not who makes their laws"
would say, instead: "Let the peO-
pie be compelled to live in the sunlight,
eating wholesome foods, and they will
make their own songs and need few
laws y