Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-08-07
THE WHITE CEDARS.
A FABLE.

On swamp near the eastern shore OF
Lake Michigan, there grew near togeth.
er two specimens of the American Ar.
bor Vitae, commonly called white cedar
Their center stems were straight and
their branches regular. Their foliage
however, was sparse and principally on
the extremity of the branches, so that
the lake breezes had but little obstruc-
tion in passing through the trees.
A gentleman who took great delight
in ornamenting his grounds, marked one
of these trees for removal by tying a
strip of white rag to one of its branches.
When he had gone this tree addressed
its neighbOr, saying:
do you see the white ribbon fiutter-
ing from my branch? 1t was placed
there as token of distinction in admi-
ration for my beauty of FORM"
did you hear what the man said
when he tied that rag upon your
branch?" said the other tree.
81 did not understand exactly, but l
heard him whispering something to his
littlegirl."
Il heard him say he would have you
removed to his garden" said the neigh
Dor tree
"0h, am afraid that will kill me"
HE appeared to be a kind gentleman,
by the way he lifted his little girl over
the wet places, so perhaps he will not
treat you so roughly as to kill you by re-
mOval. Almost any change would be
better than remaining in this dull
place" said Arbor Vitae No. 2.
The next day the gentleman returned
with aspade and dug around circle,
cutting off the outer roots of the tree he
had marked. The tree was frightened
and trembled, but stood its ground until
at last every root was severed that bound
it to the earth. 1t was then lifted from
its wet bed, where it had grown from
seed, placed in wagon, and conveyed
to the gentleman'S garden, where hole
had been dug for its reception in some
nice soft soil. 1t was placed upright in
its new position and the soil pressed be-
tween its roots, covering them carefully
water being thrown on to make the soil
pack firmly ON the roots. The soil being
moist and warm, new shoots soon start
ed, striking into and permeating the
ground in every direction. Nothing was
done to the branches, but they were al
lowed to grow year or two, so as to get
accustomed to their new position.
During the second summer, however,
the gentleman noticing the vigorous
growth, sheared off the tip-ends of the
branches. Every place where branch
tip was sheared off two little shoots
soon grew out, giving the tree thicker
foliage. The same operation was re-
peated on the young shoots as they gave
signs of growth beyond the desired
limits. For each shoot thus shortened
in, two or more appeared, and in four
years from the time it was transplanted,
the tree, instead of being so sparsely
covered with foliage that the wind could
pass freely through it, had become
beautiful thick evergreen, and was
priced beyond all the trees.in the garden
for its dense foliage and compact form.
Several pairs of birds had built their
nests in it, and these were completely
hidden from, the sight of passers by.
Persons passing in the street frequently
stopped to admire the tree, and often in
qulred where the proprietor obtained
that magnificent evergreen, and were
astonished to learn that it had been re-
moved from a neighboriHg swamp, as
they had never seen anything there so
beautiful.
Finding how successful he had been
in removing this tree from the swamp,
he concluded to remove others, and
among those which he removed was the
one that had been neighbor to the first
one. This he planted near to the other,
so that they becrme neighDors again.
At first neither recognized the other.
No. had not grown much larger, but
was so compact and solid that it looked
like a hrSt-claSs nursery tree, while No. 2
had grown taller, and its branches were
spread out with very little foliage on
their tip ends. "
The next day a breeze that came
through the branches of the newcomer
waited an odor of fragrance to the ma
turalized tree, and it at once recognized |
the same peculiar perfume that used to |
delight it in its former life in the swamp; |
and gently inclining its head as the |
force of the wind abated, it said:
'Are you not the same tree that was |
my neighbOr in the swamp"
"Can that be you?" replied No. 2.
"How beautifully you have thickened |
up since you left my neighborhood |
What can have caused so great a |
changer?
"Oh, l have gone through a great deal
to attain my present condition" said Ar
boz Vitae No. l. My roots were short
ened, my long, graceful branches pruned,
many times my tenderest parts were nip
ped off, which caused me intense pain.
AT times it seemed impossible for me to
withstand such rough treatment, and |
thought | must succumb to it. But at
last / perceived that the man was impro-
wing me, ! gained confidence in him, and
resolved to bear cOurageOusly whatever
trials might be subjected to, and now
you see the result of my training i'll my
beautiful compact form and thick foil
age. You know in the swamp / was al
ways little vain of my tail and stately
appearance. Now l have learned the
pleasure of being useful as well as beau
tiful; and the birds have become most
delightful companions to me-they
build their nests in my. branches, and
their songs cheer me as well as please
the children"
1T must be mortifying, after sending
out such long roots and branches to have
them Topped of" said No. 2; "but if the
result is to produce such respectable
looking tree as you have become, sup
pose had better submit and make the
best of it, as you have done, although it
is harder on me than it was on you, as l
am more set in my habits of growth than
you were when you were transplanted."
Just as they had reached this point in I
their conversation, the owner came along I
with his little girl and showed her the
two trees. He said: "Do you Temem- r
Der, Celia, when we were in the swamp I
and tied piece of white rag on tree
to indicate the one l intended to re-
move?" Hi1 l
"Yes," said Celia; there were two 4