Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-08-27
THE FALLEN PINE.

ways "a long time ago"1 when all the
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
call the inanimate spake 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 scripturai fact
Us its 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 cruel
fixion. 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 crucifixion, 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 sun
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 i'll the Sierras you may
| have heard the story there;
There is. by wayside. great fallen
pine. Youse in the slopes of the Sierras
many of its companions-pines mot red
wood with girth of more than thirty
feet at your height above their base. At
the foot of this PROSTATE monarch. its
titsii 1ptil IilllOii VI ItItlulIto sEot tItIt
still stands mighty oak, tossing its
brawny, messy arms to the sky. 1t stands
vigil, perhaps now neither Borrowing
nor exulting. If you enter the little
cabin near by the good mother, though
it may be that she has nev been real
mother at all, earning her title by deeds
of devotion, heroism and sacrifice. and
,o.I,+ . ~ IL
maiden there will tell you; not like the
story monger at Waterloo who rehearses
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 perhaps the
old Groom is there no more, for it has
been years since Twas there, l 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
" llLii tllc S'joSiif VI 'iit NblIi,
when they heard of society" when
they heard of the jealousies among
neighboring beauties. and the contrast
ing of the virtues of trees, then ii
was that troubles began. The winds that
came from far Off seas flor il is stormy
country there tossed their branches To-
gether, and the family jars" may be
tf, Iux fI., in,
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 there," 1t was
the pine that spoke thus, while the oak
replied:
Pooh! your smell is disagreeable, and
that vile blood of yours has deiiled my
iingers.'
"You are a cross vixen: don't scratch
me so. the pine now complained.
The clouds wept and with their tears
washed the wounds of the pine. But
they could not blot out the memory of
the ugly words spoken.
Every time The winds came, and they
came frequently, for it is, as have said,
winds came the wrangles were renewed,
and the bitter and reproachful complain
ing words would come again.
The pine called the oak an obstinate
and cruel neighbor, vowing he would no
longer live by his side. Hear his resolu-
ton:
Il am going to leave you; shall grow
far away from you" and forthwith the
pine turned his head away in disdainful
pride. He grew away from the oak. He
grew rapidly-far more so than his neigh
bor-and was soon high up in the sky, his
branches leaning far and anxiously to
the morning light. He waited back, it
is said, this farewell to the oak: Good
by. Scrub. You can scratch my face
no moref
From this time on it was a, war of
words only, for the branches of the pine
grew further and further away. The
pine boasted Of his virtues, and Of the
oaks inferiority. Again there was Q
"Good-by, Scrub"
The oak was piqued and wounded to
the core. He shouted up to the pine:
Il don't calc what you say about me,
know am priced above you for my
noble qualities Of strength and toughness
and weight"
'You boast of your virtues. you clumsy
thing" retorted the pine You say you
are useful, while | am not only useful
but am ornamental-a joy in the world.
am light of weight am easily wrought.
J travel over all the earth; am found in
every place and in every mansion under
the sun, especially where there is toy
that delights the eye or the heart of
childhood.
Yes" quickly responded the oak,
but make the vessels that bear you in
your journeys over the sea-"
'Bah'' said the pine, you lie hidden
away under the waters while / ride high
above you in the heavens You are
very beast Of burden, and without me
there would be no mast, no spar. Fur
thermore. as am above the waters, with
my eyes see all the gay fashions Of the
world!''
Fashions forsooth." said the oak. II
know the fashions. for wear them three
times year. while you. like poor
prude, have the same unvarying dress
the whole year old fashioned
frock which you cannot changer
This remark stung the pine to the very
heart There is no one who likes to have
his or her garments criticised-"made
fun Of so to speak. The pine flung back
this in reply:
You are BOBBY; you are tickle,