The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-04-20
A Leaf From the Sky.
BY HANS CHRISTIAN AxDERsoS-

ing the flower q very little leaf fell
down into the sof. soil in the midst o
the wood. and immediatly took root
and sprouted, and sent forth shoot.
among the otner plants.
a funny kind of slip that, said the
Plants.
| And neither Thistle. nor Singing
Nettle would recognize the stranger
That must be . kind Of a garden
plant they said.
And then they sneered; and the plan,
was despised by them as being thing
Of the garden.
Where are you comins,' cried the
lofty Thistles, whose leaves were oil
armed with thorns. You give your
self good deal of room. That's all
nonsense-we are not here to supper,
yoc'. they grumbled.
And Winter came, and snow covered
the plant; but the plant impaired te
the snowy covering . luster as if the
sun was shining upon it from below as
from above. When Spring came, the
plant appeared as blooming object,
more beautiful than any production OF
the forest.
And now appeared on the scene the
botanical professor, who could show
what 1t was in black and white He
inspected the plant and tested it, but
| found it was not included in his botan
ical system; and he could not possibly
| find out to what class it belonged.
'Thst must be some subordinate
Species he said. i don't know it.
It's not included In any system
Not included in any system!' repeat
ed the Thistle and the Nettles.
The great trees that stood round
about saw and heard it; but they said
not word, good or bad, which is the
wisest way to do for people who are
stupid
| Then came through the forest poor
innocent girl. Her heart was pure,
and her understanding was enlarged
tha Bible; but out OF its pages q voice
said to her. If people wish to do evil,
| remember how it was said of Joseph.
They imagined evil in their hearts, but
God turned it to good. If we suffer
wrong-if We are misunderstood and
despised- then we may recall the
| words of Him who was purity and
goodness itself, and who prayed for aud
forgave those who buifeted and nailed
Him to the cross
The girl stood still In front of the
| wonderful plant, whose great leaves
exhaled a sweet and refreshing fra
GRANGE. and whose flowers glittered
like colored flames In the sun; and from
though it concealed within itself n
deep fount of melody that thousands OF
years could not exhaust. With pious
gratitude the girl looked on this beau
tiful work of the Creator, and bent
down one OF the branches toward her
self to breathe in its sweetness; aud q
light arose in her soul Ii seemed to
do her heart good; and gladly would
she have plucked flower, but she
could not make up her mind to break
one off, for it would soon fade if she
did so. Therefore the girl only took a
single leaf, and laid it in her Bible at
home; and it lay there quite fresh. al
ways green, and never fading.
Among the pages of the Bible it was
kept. and with the Bible it was laid
under the young girls head when q
few weeks afterward, she lay in her
coffin, with the solemn calm of death
on her gentle face. as if the earthly re-
mains bore the impress of the truth
that she now stood before her Creator
But the wonderful plant still bloom
ed without in tho forest. 1t was almost
like q tree to look upon; and oil the
birds of passage bowed before it.
That's giving itsef foreign airs,
now. said the Thistles and the Bur-
docks; we never behave like that
here
And the snails actually spat at the
flewer.
Then came the Swineherd. He was
collecting thistles and shrubs, to burn
them for ashes. The wonderful plant
was placed bodily in his bundle
1t shall be made useful, he said;
and So said, so done.
But soon afterwsrd. the King of the
country was troubled with a terrible
depression of spirits He was busy and
industrious. but that did him no good.
They read him deep and learned books.
and then they read from the lightest
and most superficial that they could
find; but il was no use Then
one of the wise men of the world to
whom they had applied. sent messen-
ger to tell the King that there was one
remedy to give him relief aud TO cure
him. He said:
In the Kings own country there
grows in q forest plant of heavenly
origin. Its appearance is thus and
thus. 1t cannot be mistaken
1 fancy it was taken up in my ban.
die, and burned inte ashes long ago.
said the Swineherd; but I did not
know any better
You did not know any better, Igno-
rance Of lgnorances"
And those words the Swinehard
might we'll take 10 himself. for they
were meant for him, and not for any one
else.
Not another leaf wa 10 be found: the
only one lay in the coffin of the dead
girl, and no one knew anything about
that.
And the King himself. wandered ont
70 the spot In the woods
Here is where the plant stood, he
said. 1T is sacred place
And the place was surrounded with
a golden railing, and . sentry was
posted there.
The botanical professor wrote . long
treatise upon the heavenly plant. For
this ne was gilded all over. and this
gliding suited him and his family very
well. And indeed that vas the most
n ureeah n h mart of fho uhai., story Rut