The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-05-18
THE FALLEN PINE.

J
animals conversed as well as sung, and
when--if we believe the immortal legends
every created thing had its expressive
tongue.
We are told that even the very stones
had language audible and eloquent. The
Old Testament gives us more than one
instance of the time when what we now
cah the inanimate spalre in instructive
tones.
The story of the trees who wanted
king to rule over them isamong the most
interesting. There is another tradition
which, while it does not lie in the author
ity of the Scriptures, has scriptural fact
asfts basis. Who is there that has not
heard the legend Of the Aspen, which
received the curse of perpetual palsy
because of its refusal to bow its head in
sorrow on the doleful day of the cruci-
6xion, when all nature was in mourning?
The story of the Aspen is the story of
Pride. Let me tell you apother-the
legend of the Fallen Pine. This, how
ever, cannot claim birth coeval with
creation or the crucifxion, for the i'm
press of modern thought is seen in the
coinage of the tale.
Have you ever travelled over among
the Sierras, and have you ever listened
to the croonings Of the old priestesses and
nuns there?
1t will be long time before the last
vestiges of the early Spanish ecclesiasti-
cism is gone from those regions in our
far west, where its missionaries half
wasted heroic lives, especially in the sum
set lands of the New World. But am
not sure that what / am about to relate
comes from the pious exile from the
mother country. But where did the
'good mother" who related it to me re-
ceive it?
Listen to the legend, though if you
have travelled in the Sierras you may
have heard the story there;
There is, by wayside, great fallen
pine. Yousee in the slopes Of the Sierras
many Of its companions-pines (not red
wood) with a girth of more than thirty
fee5at your height above their base. At
the foot Of this prostrate monarch, its
near companion of centuries ago, there
still stands mighty oak, tossing its
brawny, messy arms to the sky. 1t stands
vigil, perhaps now neither sorrowing
nor exulting. If you enter the little
cabin near by the "good mother" " though
it may be that she has never been a real
mother at all, earning her title by deeds
of devotion, heroism and sacrifice, and
we might therefore say that the "ancient
maiden" there will tell you; not like the
nfN
for sou the affair there to the great
historian of "Les Miserables," but will
recount to you the long, long quarrel
betwixt the pine and the oak. AS you
may never travel there, or peIhaps the
old Groom is there no more, for it has
been years since Twas there, will there
fore tell you the story as it came to me:
1t was many and many years ago that
the pine and the oak sprang up there,
side by side. They grew together low
ingly and happily until they had passed
the period of their ''teens," as the world
expresses it. At length, and when, in
the language of the modern pen, they
| began to hear the gossip of the world
when they heard of Society" when
1 they heard of the jealousies among
neighboring beauties, and the contrast
ing of the virtues of trees, then il
was that troubles began. The winds thai
came from far off seas (for it is stormy
country there) tossed their branches to
gether, and the "family jars" may bt
said to have then commenced in earnest
The harsh wood of the oak rubbed
against the tender pine, and white BLOOD
ran from the open veins. "You are be
coming too familiar over therel" 1t wal
the pine that spoke thus, while the oal
replied:
"Poohl your smell is disagreeahle, anC
that vile blood of yours has defled my
fingersp
"You are a cross vixen; don't scratcl
me So" the pine now complained.
The clouds wept and with their tear
washed the wounds of the pine. Blu
they could not blot out the memory o
the ugly words spoken.
Every time the winds came, and theN
came frequently, for it is, as have said
a stormy country there-every time the
winds came the wrangles were renewed
and the bitter and reproachful complain
ing words would come again.
The pine called the oak an obstinat
and cruel neighbor, vowing he would NJ
longer live by his side. Hear his resolu
ton:
81 am going to leave you; shall grow
far away from you;" and forthwith tn
pine turned his head away in disdainfu
pride. He grew away from the oak. H
grew rapidly-far more so than his neigh
bor-and was soon high up in the sky, hi
branches leaning far and anxiously t
the morning light. He waited back,
is said, this farewell TO the oak; "Good
by, Scrub You can scratch my fac
no morei"
From this time on it was a war o
wordI only, for the branches of the pin
grew further and further away. Tn
pine boasted of his virtues, and Of tn
oaks inferiority. Again there was
"Good-by, Scrubp
The oak was piqued and wounded b
the core. He shouted up to the pine;
81 don't care what you say about me
] know am priced above You for m.
Municipalities of strength and toughnes
and weight"
"You boast Of your virtues, you clums,
D thingF' retorted the pine. "You say yo
are useful, while am not only usefu
but am ornamental-a Joy in the world
! am light of weight; am easily wrought
l travel over all the earth; am found 1
every place and in every mansion unde
the sun especially whsrs there Is Ia