The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-11
THE wEEPaNG WILLOW.

You have seen and admired the
weeping willow tree-the Sallx Baby
lonics--upon which the captive He.
brews hung thsir harps when they sat
down by the rivers Of Babylon and
wept when they remem bered Zion.''
1t 10 . native Of the Garden Of Eden,
snd not of Amefica. and I will teal
you how il emigrsted to this country.
More than $50 years ago . merchant
lost his fortune. He went to Smyrna,
. seaside city of Asia Minor, to re.
cover it. Alexander Pope, one of the
grestest poets OF England. wai the
merchsnt's warm friend and sympa.
thized with him in his misfortunes.
Soon after the merchant arrived in
Smyrna he sent to Pope. as present.
box OF dried fgs.e Al that time the
poet had built beautiful villa al
Twicksnham. on the bank of the
Thamss. and was sdorning It with treos.
shrubbery and AowsriDg plants.
On opening the box Or dgs Pope dis,
covered In II small twig OF tree. II
was . stranger 10 him. As il came
from the East he planted the tvig In
the ground near the river, close BY his
villa. The spot accidentally chosen
for the plsntiog Nss IAvotsbls 10 Its
gsowth. for the twig was from the
weeping willow tree-possibly from
the bank of one Of the rivers of Baby
Ion '-7rAieh apafishss hess plcag the
bordep ~ Me& eoufses. : TkfnYl
This littls tvig grew eigotously, and
N . few year. il became :. large tree,
spssAding vide its branches and droop
ing. graceful sprays. and winning the
inspiration e tAe poet's fgieede q Eell
= strangers. II became the ancestor
Of all me wespsug willow trees in
England.
There wss rebellion In the Euglish-
Anericaa colopk q n. l776.Y \ fHrsiish
troops were seat 10 Boston 10 put down
the insurrection. Tbeir ls sdeis ex-
pectsd il 10 end In . tev wseks after
their arsivsl Q EGen4 seuss j. nicsep
broaght 6ships ktackle .Nith rthsm 20
bsisf Esss Qthen, es1s 70 ssitls op
the cohhscassd land Of the rebeh. -
Amoat ths lnEe6e wss ; yoeag ON.
cor On the stAG u Genesal Hsws. He
brought With hin. wsspped u otlsd
silk. . teie fton Pops'p esepiue vil-
Low srxs q TwisG Gen6sm, whigh be in
tended to plant On sone stream watsr.
ing his Ansfiuan sstate.
Washingtoa commanded m Army
bsfore Boston which kept the British
imprisooed in tbas eity long time
against their vii. Oa his staff Wa
bis stspson. John Parke Csstis. who
freqvsnslys wpst 70 the Bsisise hesd-
qaartSrs. unoSrA he spzpeuettoa a !
fAs. With dispatches for General Howe.
He became ,aeQnsanfsd with the yonng
o@osr who Id ths uillow tvig and
they became fricnds.
Instead Of crushing the rebellion in
six weeks the Bsitish army ct Bostoa,
as the end Of "A impri>oumspt Of nine
months. vsss glad 70 ~ by ssa. fol
their Life an1 iibsety, 10 Hsiifax
Long before that fight the British sub
altsrn, sAtisaed thai be should nevss
have an estats 10 America TO adorn
gave his carefully preserved willow
twig 10 youDH 0n111b, 80 plsnted 4
st Abingdo1 - ests1e n yirxiniA
where IL grew and hourished. and be
came paseas q AL shs vsspirg vii
lows 10 the uuitsd Htasea
/ Sometins afker1 the war 0enesa
Hontio 0atesSof the Rsvol1tien. -
tied o. the nnAs 8ill sneu, q Net
York is;and. and st Tho entrance 70 th'
lsns Dbieh ~ Gs9 sepsaery rssd =
his b6sss - pbAsted . swtg fron ~
! vieosous willow ~ = Abtnedon. which b
had bes9g1t Ni1A k@-s Ihas eounts,
! rod spou nd eesaes sd - la0
!. I.selI.ssse1d s'Fsse 0ssIa -