Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-03
MY NEIGHB0R'S TREE.
LESSON TAUGHT BY CLOSE STUDY
OF THE MYSTERIES OF NATURE.

As 1t Looks and Seems to BE- Summer
and winter-The Glitter After Spring
shower-The Thunder Storms anl Au-
tums of Life-what They Mean
My room, which is in high house, is
on an even height with the crown of the
tree opposite. For seven years this tree
has been true friend to me. How often
1T has refreshed my sight! have here
at different times jotted down what /
saw, thought and dreamed about it.
Everything in nature has its fixed des
tlny-Inan alone has the worry In ma
ture there is "must, with man it is
"you shall" and, therefore, there is a
desire of freedom in the heart of man
kind, an endeavor to discern our natural
destination. Schiller says:
Seek you the highest the greatest? the plant can
reach you il;
What it is without win, you should be willingly
The history of religion begins with di-
vine alteration of certain trees, and this
culture became so deeply rooted that it
was difficult to destroy it. The ENJOYS
of Christianity had to apply the ak to
the holy trees to destroy this kind of
worship.
The crown of the tree is too high to be
reached by regulating garden shears; it
rounds itself. Take lesson from the
tree, raise yourself up man; learn to
stand high in yourself and the world
cannot mold you against your will.
My tree stands in my neighbor's gar
den. 1t is not mine, and yet my pleas.
ure is not decreased by the thought that
it is not my property. In the contem-
plation of that which is eternal there is
no mine and thine, and the pleasure
makes one happy and asks not from
whence it came.
1t is withered tree during the winter,
and the thought arises, "Who knows il
it yet lives? Will leaves, branches and
fruit thrive again." Spring-new or re-
turning life-will show.
After spring sun shower, how all the
branches glitter with the hanging drops,
which play in wonderful colors. What
an absorption there must be in the trees!
AS soon as the rain ceases the finch ap
pears and sings his song so gayIy that it
seems the merry fellow had freshly
moistened his throat; and, indeed, it is
so, for man and bird sing better after a
rain than in dry and close air.
The tree has its hours of animation.
Science has discovered that the life of
plant is strongest under the influence Of
the light, .necially in the hours before
midday.
In April there was another snow. All
the branches were laden, all day long
the fakes whirled about, and it was all
still and quiet, except now and then
complaint from the finch A chill per-
vaded nature; even people in heated
rooms could not keep warm. 1t seemed
as If life and soul were in sympathy with
the millionfold sorrow of the scared
away birds and newly opened blossoms.
Whoever enjoys the life of nature must
also suffer with it. Natures life is harsh
and sharp, for all life is struggle. Even
if thousand blossoms, which have
scarcely bloomed, pass away, the devel-
opment of natures forces is overhowing;
also in human life only little comes to
pass which blossoms in the mind as wish
and aspiration.
The tree takes in only fluid food, and
corresponds in this point with the first
life of the child or animal.
A child destroying plaything which
is put together by strange handsis forced
to do so by its curiosity to examine the
inner works, Neither can science act
differently than to follow natural life,
and by investigation it kills that taken
in hand To be separated from nature
has tendency TO make tender.
A hail storm has broken off branch
and another will not grow again in its
place, but the tree may add new branches
and twigs, and tho wound of the torn
off branch may heal up.
A thunder storm in the vicinity has
of trees and uprooted others,
and when tree is down and its roots
are exposed it is not questioned how it
was thrown down and uprooted, but
how it could have existed and grown in
such thin layer of soil. So it is with
many 30 called heroes; when they have
fallen one can scarcely conceive the pos
sibility Of their former state.
Autumn comes with such force that
you feel as though you were parting with
the dearest associates; that you had not
fully returned their friendship, and that
you had not enjoyed them as you could
and should have done. The refectioz
returns how you could have hoped in
the spring 10 take in the life Of summer
in full draughts, and, having neglected
it, it is now too late; and 30 it will be In
the autumn of your life.
Cease remorse, which overcomes you
with the falling Of the leaves. Wake up
and work in the new day. Inasmuch as
the fallen leaf returns to its stem, 30 will
3 day passed return to you, but there
will be new leaves and new days as long
as life is allowed to you.
The stripping of the leaves seems to
go on more quickly than the lea6ng, be-
cause the falling Of the leaves is more
plainly visible, although the dying off of
the tree really lasts as long as its return
to life.
He who studies nature In winter Is
nearer to it than the season enjoying
ones, the city people, who only go into