The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1894-01-12


Mary until she could reach aud gather
the refreshing dates. We read SINH
lar tradition of the stone pine. When
the Holy Family were making theil
escape, the lupine was tall tree, bu'
it would afford no shelter to the fugi'
tives. So they were obliged to take
refuge under stone pine, which
stretched out it's branches to protect
them from the burning sun. In
punishment curse was pronounced
upon the lupine, which ceased to be a
tree and became plant of low groth,
while the stone pine was blessed by
the Madonna and become one of the
most beautiful trees in the South.
Two trees, the fig and tamarind, are
associated in the legends of the people
with the person of Judas Iscariot. Ac.
cording to one tradition, he hung him.
self on a fig tree, which from that time
never bloomed again. According to
another legend it was tamarind, and
from thatIhour the tree dwindled an be
small and stunted.
Branches of the palm and olive are
blessed in the churches on every Palm
Sundy and usually fastened in the
houses as preventive of all sorts of evil
influence, for instance, diseases. In
numerous towns remote from the
traffic of the world, long procession Of
people are seen on that day bearing
these sacred, woodworking boughs
which the fisherman fastens to his
boat and the peasant thrusts into his
grain fields. In Sicily large boughs
of the olive are consecra'ed and then
brought into the fields that the latter
NAV bear abundant harvests.
The poplar and the orange tree are
also surrounded by sort of nimbus OF
sauctity. Statues of the saints were
carved from the wood of the former.
Southern churches are filled with these
statues, always gayly painted and in
modern times frequently clad in
magnificent garments, but these little
statues are equally numerous in cham
bers. The firm wood of the orange
tree is used to manufacture the little
beads Of the rosary owned and used by
almost every worshipper in southern
climes. Branches of myrtle serve, Is
in ancient times, for festal decorations.
At the festivals of the Madonna affairs
are often adorned with them. A south
ern bride however rarely wears myr-
tie, but chooses wreath of fragrant,
snowy orange flowers.
The laurel was sacred among the
ancients. With the worship Of Appollo
whose first temple was built by the
Hellenes on the acropolis of Cuma, the
laurel was brought to Italy, and occu-
pied an important place in worship.
The significance of this beautiful tree
has not yet vanished.
The bough of laurel which adorns all
country wine shops in Southern Italy,
still recalls the time when Apollo was
honored as the Alexikakos defender
from eviD, and laurel branches are
frequently borne in processions. In
Sicily st. Vito and S.. Agatha are
prominent saints in whose worship the
laurel is used. In the middle ages
great writer's were crowned in the
capitol with the laurel wreath
Torqua'o Tasso died before receiving
this honor. But, to use Schiller's
words, Apollo had given to the poets
the sweet melody of song and the
laurel, which, as Virgil says Eneas
V. 500 was sacred to Apollo, crowned
the Nictors brow.
The tree of mourning in ancient
times was the dark cypress it shaded
the streets Of tombs and was the
| decoration of monuments. This sig
nifcance has come down to moderr
days. Every cemetry in the South il
planted with tall expresses who's
rustling seems to say: Men are wha