Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-13
tn. Amsurus IN EDEN.
| Hew the Beautiful Plant Followed Eve Into
| the Outer World and SIN seeks Her.

THE AkBUrUs IN EDEN.
Hev the Beautiful Plant Followed Eve Into
the Outsr World and sim Seeks Her.
lOF ALL THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
Olast annual meeting Of tae American Folk
Lore Society none we're more beautiful or more
thoroughly appreciated than the paper by Rep
resentative c. T. Belknap Of Grand Rapids.
Mich. Mr.. Belknap has made a specially of
Indian legends and these he tells in Q popu-
lar manner; often odd. but always graceful.
His latest ID The Arbutus in Eden"
'Ons story often leads to another. The In
dian legend Of the creation of the arbutus calls
to mind a fairy tale, The Arbutus in the
Garden Of Eden
"This may have been in print some bygone
day; 1 cannot say, but I pick IL up now from
the tangled ends u . cobweb memory, often
bathed in the dsvs Of my boyhood dsya
when God created the earth some parts Of IL
were better than others. aud He selected the
most beautiful Of all the places and there caused
grow the rarest plants OF all HIS creations Of
flowers, birds and animals; and to prevent
trespsssing upon tais favored ground He
created great wall. 20 high and of such fine
material that no vicious beast or noxious weed
could climb over II. To get in and out Of this
oe'SnuuI inciosurc there was but one gate,
ana tnat was securely locked-eyen against bad
weather.
Then God created the superior animal, man.
70 rule over this heaven on earth.
ADAM AND EVE.
Nov, do not ask you to believe that Adam
was created full-grown man. or tina: Eve. who
was created TO be his companion. was a full
grown woman, and that they had no youth.
IL would be cruel for me t. ask you to think
that they had no bsbyhoou no boy and girl
va a haxa lpa -.
see them, way back In that olden time, swing
Ing In the grape vine swing or Eve going
about picking great armfuls Of wild flowers.
Nhile Adam was wading in the brock, or setting
traps 70 catch rabbits aud squirrels, or throw
ing stones at the birds.
Eve was full OF curiosity, and when she was
not buey In any other way was always looking
Tor the key TO unlock the garden gate
The two roamed ut will about the beautiful
grounds. There were no sigas Keep of the
grass, SO they could cut across lots without
fear Of punishment
EYES PLANT, THE AhBUrUs.
And 20 the happy days went by until Eve
had grown to be sweet sixteen Eve having
no mothsr-for you must remember she was
an orphan-had many little ills and troubles
that she could not tell Adam, and then there
we've times when AGam was cross. and at al
such times she sought sweet, tender plant
,hat grew upright upon hillside near the
Win Eve, for 1t grew upon the very spot where
Eve was born, and Eve used to clasp is in her
arms and conrde to it her secrets
wEAr EVE LEARNED.
From It Eve was taught modesty, purity,
charity and confidence. From it she was
taught to clothe herself with leaves and that
she should use the gifts of the Creator TO
dement, herself and Adam. Eve and the Plant.
winch Adam had named the arbutus. were AXE
mother aud child, and 30 when Adam came to
the plant one day looking for Eve. for she was
Always there when not with Adam, Arbutus
said to him: Go thou, Adam, ana from tine
SKINS OF animals make thyself a garment; thou
art no longer Q child, but to manhood grown;
thou alone Of all that God has made art naked.
Look at the animals, the birds, tho fishes, the
trees and even the ground is clothed. Take
lesson by me, plant that cannot move about,
WIN nauSht to protect me, nothing in the
shape OF hands to gather treas ures; We. have
not beautiful clothing, and have l not
gathered fragrance from ali the plants and
flowers IN the garden! Put my blossoms to
thy face and you will smell the fragrance of
the clover, the rose and even the sweetness of
the tree tops. Go, and by thy industry q; thy
self to become the husband OF my child, whom
l have taught all my virtues
ADAM AND HIS SNARE
adam, kneeling at the side of Arbutus, said:
will do thy bidding. will go and get the
finest and best in the land And getting his
snares and his weapons he left, saying; When
l return will be ut to claim Eve as MY bride
And as Adam came near the great gate looking
Tor an animal with fire fur to make himself a
garment be saw Q strange animal era wing int
the garden under the gate. For all the great
gate was made by the Master, yet there had
been left crack under it and an evil spirit
had discovered 1t and was coming in. Adam
set his snare and soon had caught the strange
being, which, as was proven afterward, was the
devil Now, as this devil had lately dined ON
beer, onions and sulphur Adam couidn't stand
the smell, and he was obliged to let him 60.
And thus did the Internal one secure entrance
into the Garden Of Eden, where his presence
soon created trouble, as we nearly all know,
and a. q result Of the scandal that followed
Adam and Eve were expelled. along with the
devil, from the paradise; the grea. gate opened
Tor the first time, and when 1t swung La:k in
place Arbutus had lost sight of Eve forever;
but, mourning like a mother for her loved
child, 1t maize its way to the gate but
as 1t could not swing il open it got
down upon the ground and found the crack
that let the devil in, and it crawled outside the
garden walls, and once ont it feared to resume
Its upright position and it concealed its beauti-
full white blossoms under Its leaves and went
all about the world looking for Eve, stunning
and fearing man, growing only in the forests
In secluded places, refusing to accept cultiva-
ton, but sending out its fragrance and bios
SONS In the faith that Eve will be found
thereby and they two united again as mother