Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-05-06
"NOTHING Is EVER OLD"

In Deutschland the people do not
wish the cold to enter their dwellings.
Not that they have aught against it, for
they often go out and meet it in the
most friendly manner, and enjoy their
gardens even unto mid-winter.
But they do not wish the cold to come
II. So, in the early winter, double
windows are put into their homes. Be-
tween the window within and the one
without is quite little garden of space.
This is nearly filed with MOSES; ever
green's often run also up at each side,
with an artificial flower fastened here
and there to make one think it is sum-
mer.
One day when these were to DO
adorned for winter, Emil aud Gretchen,
two small children, begged of the good
Fratt, their mother, to permit them to
go ont and gather the MOSES for the
windows. 70 this she readily consent
ed. Then one put on his cap, and the
other her hood, and they went, hand in
hand, up lonely and crooked lane into
the forest.
Winter had already come. Only a
few leaves trembled in the wind on the
naked ,boughs of the tall trees. Almost
all of the little plants were ragged and
forlorn, and the flowers on the ground
were dead. Mats of brown leaves were
beaten into the ground, just as the fall
rains had left them.
These two very small folk felt most
lonesome when they stepped into this
great forest. The sky and the trees
seemed so far above them, and the
rough ground hurt their young feet,
and there was nowhere fire to make
them warm.
By-and-by they forgot the cold and
loneliness, for they found wonderful
things hidden away. Long vines, COW
cred with red berries, lay under the
leaves; bits of fir and balsam abounded; ;
and iupon and about an old decayed log
was such bunch of moss as made them
clap their hands and shout till the
woods laughed too-moss so deep and
rich that they fairly lost their little cold
red hands in it; and OIL so green and
bright it was that they laughed over
and over again to think how glad the
good frau would be, and what two
wonderful children she would think
them for having found so great treasure.
So the deep MOSES, softer than Persian
wool, went into young Gretchen's apron,
along with the fir, and balsam, and ber-
ries. Besides, on the very same log was
a whole army of gray-coated ichens,
with red caps on their heads-the fun
NEST little soldiers you ever saw, and
not an inch long were they.
These, too, were going into the apron
after the MOSES, close up against hap
py heart, with face up above it that
had cheeks as round and red as apples,
and eyes as bright as cups Of water in
the sun. Then right by were two other
cheeks, and two other eyes as bright as
they
Just as the little lichen soldiers were
going in by the moss, the children heard
a breaking of twigs, as ifsome one were
walking in the wood. They looked up
and saw dreary old crone coming right
toward them
The same chill crept over them from
head to foot that they felt when first
they came into the lonesome woods, and
looked up at the knotty old trees, so
gaunt and bare, that were swaying in
the wind.
DC11 NACCOACA1 c1O JOu 0A4o4Ot
Just little bit, Emil"
And Emil crept close to his sister,
andshe stood quite still, and trembled
very hard.
"And will she kill US, Gretchen, with
her stick?" .-.-
They say good children never need
to fear"
"And is she witch, GretchenP" .
"Oh, Emil, am very much afraid J.
what will you say?"
"I will speak very gently"
And If she Lifts her stick?"
dThen I win say, You are witch
We are Gods klei71e kinder, and yor
dare not touch usP"
The dismal crone drew nearer anC
nearer, and the little children grew
meeker, and trembled more and more
They wished the earth would open ant
let them down out of sight; but tn
earth did no such thing. The OLE
woman drew nearer and nearer, ant
then stood still before them, leaning
upon her staff.
She looked just like the trees, gnarleC
and knotty, and without life. Sh
opened her thin lips and spoke, and he
voice moaned and whistled like the nortl
wind.
"What are you doing herer" sh
asked.
Gathering greens for the winter"
"Why do you gather greens?s
"To make the windows look like tn
summerssi~a-rr ~ ---.-. IT p. r
~Then you are fond Of SUMNER
Eyes"
And You hate the winterf" wzu
"a little" q
and you think these trees hateful
old things?" she asked. - A-I Z j.
The children shivered Eyes"
"Do you know who amp"
sPeThaps yen are very old frGuI
answered Gretchen. for she dared no
call her witch"
II ana the spirit Of the trees. Whe
the winds wall you hear my voice. d
not hate me, young childreni lam nc
a witch, as you thought, neither am /
very old frau, as you said. ListenI
am the spirit of the trees. Nothing
ever old. The winter Is young as til
summer. The heart of the oak is youn
as the green's in your apron. The heal
of the winter trees holds sap to fee
young leaves, and the ugly knot in th
fire burns a great red coal to make 20
warm.
Nothing il, ever old. What you ca
age oonAesl Just before the bright t.
morrow that never grows dark or COLI
and where all deformity passes ava.
What seems, is not. At the heart {
all is good. .Adieul Fear me not
And she lifted her staff and hobble
away, signing softly as the south vino
a, the breaking Of winter. "Nothin
grows old; nothing grows oldl"
Then the little children ran swift
home. And when they entered tt
house all the red apples had gone out
their cheeks, and their eyes were il
deed ike cups Of water, for the tea;
spilled out Of them down their cheek
When~ythe good frau had take