The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-10-29
The Weeping Willow.


You have seen aud admired the weep
ing willow iree--the Salix Babylouica-
upon which the captive Hebrews hung
their harps when they sat down by the
rivers Of Babylon, aud weps when they
remembered Zion. IL is native Of the
garden Of Eden, and not Of America, and
will tell you how it inmigrated to this
eousIry.
More than one hundred and fify years
ago 4 merchant lost his fortune. He went
10 Smyrna, seaside city Of Asia Minor,
to recover it. Alexander Pope, one Of the
great poets Of England, was the merchant 5
warm friend, and sympashized with him 10
bis misfortune
Soon after the merchant arrived ia
Smyrna he seat to Pope, as 4 present a
box Of dried 6gs. At that time the poet
had built beautiful villa at Twickeaham
on the banks Of the Thames, and was
adorning il with trees, shrubbery aud fow-
eTing trees.
Ga opening the box Of egs Pope dis
covered in it a small twig Of the tree. II
was stranger 10 him. As il came fFcm
the East he planted il in the ground near
the river, close BY his villa The spot ac-
ciden,ally chosen for the planting was ia
vorable TO its growth, for the tWig was
from the weeping willow tree--possibly
from the bank Of one Of ''the rivers OF
Babylon which hourishes BEST along the
borders Of wstereourses.
This little tvig grew vigorously, and IN
few years j. became large tree, spread
log wide It's branches aud dropping, grace
ful sprays, aud winning the inspiration Of
the poets friends as wei as strangers. Il
became the ancestor Of all the weeping
willow trees in England
There was a rebellion ia the Eaglish-
American colonies in 1775. British troops
were sent to Boston to put down the in-
sGTeesion. Their leaders expected It TO
eud in 4 few weeks after their arrival,
Some ycung officers brought fishing tackle
with them to enable them to enjoy sport
after their brief war. Others came to set
lie on the eonfscated lands Of the 'rebels.
Among the latter was youbg officer on
the staff Of General Howe. Hs brought
with him wrapped in oiled silk a twig from
Pope weeping willow tree at Twiekenhami
which he intended to plant on some stream
watering his American estate.
Washington commanded an army be-
fore Boston which kept the British impris-
oned in that city long time against their
will 0u his staff was his step-son John
Park Gusts, who frequently went to the
British headquarters, under the protection
of flag, with dispatches from General
Howe. He became acquainted with the
young officer who had the willow twig, and
they became fast friends.
Instead of crushing the rebellion in
six weeks" the British army at Boston, at
the end Of an Imprisonment of nine months,
were glad to fly by sea for life and liberty
to HaEfaK. Long before that flight the
British subalteru, satisfied that he should
never have an estate in America to adorn,
gave his carefully preserved willow twig to
young Gusts, who planted it at Abingdon
his estate in Virginia, where it grew and
fiourished, and became parent of all the
weeping willows in the United States.
Some time after the war General Hora-
ito Gates, of the Revolution, settled on the
Rose Hill farm" on New York Island,
and at the entrance to a lane which led
fr ON country road to his house he plant
ed a twig from the vigorous willow a t
Abingdon, which he had brought with
him. That country road is now Third
avenue aud the lane is Twenty-second street.
Gates mansion, built Of wood and two
stori Is in height, stood near the corner OF
Tweu ty-seventh street and Second avenue,
where l saw it consumed by fire in 1919.
The tree which grew from the twig plant
ed at he entrance to Gates lane remained
until comparatively few years ago. l
stood on the northeast corner of Third
avenue and Tweuty-second street. 1t was
direct descendant, in the third genera
ton, of l'ope's willow, planted at Twieken-
ham about 1722-BeHson j. Losing, IN
Harper's Young People.