The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-02
Our Special Contributors-==ISO5.
THE LORE OF TREES.
How to Enjoy Life i'm a Forest.
By DIR. CHARLES c. ABBOTT, THE FAMOUS Ma
Author of ''Upand Meadow etc.

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"THERE is a pleasure in the path
less woods" but not every one who
finds himself surrounded by innu-
merable trees is sure of experiencing
it. If that bugbear, loneliness, pos
sesses him, the rambler is oppressed
by his distorted fancies and only
wishes to be again in the open coun-
try; as if in the weeds or bushes there
could lurk no danger. Better en-
counter beast in the forest than a
snake in the grass. But wherever we
are, if fear possesses us, there can be
no enjoyment, 80 it is presumed that,
come.what may, we will not be afraid.
Do not fancy because you are fa-
miliar with woodland you can ans
wer off hand such question as how
we may enjoy life in forest. The
terms forest" "woods" or "wilder-
ness" are not very definite. Every
growing collection of trees is
dependent upon SO many conditions
that there is little similarity between
one wooded tract and another, so that
the enjoyment derived from tarrying
in one locality will be wanting if we
wander even a short distance to an
other woods. Then, what difference
between an evergreen, deciduous
and a mixed foresti The latter two
have some features in common; but
the evergreen woods, whether of pine,
spruce or cedar, is thing of itself.
Again, the forests of temperate re-
gions have little akin to those of the
tropics, and the woods that clothe
mountain-side are not such as cover
the plain. One must be world wide
traveller to speak of all forests. I can
only mention what little | know of
those in which have rambled.
To enjoy life in forest 20 thereto
alone. A little practice and tree
can be made companionable. 1t is
all very well to talk glibly of tongues
in trees" but they do not always
speak to us. We cannot gain trees
confidence as we do that of strang-
er, but alone, say with some gigantic
oak, we can question ourselves con-
corning it until finally light breaks
in upon us, and the tree will help us
out of our difficulty by whispering
many secret. Perhaps I have not
made myself plain; but alas! how
helpless are we with such poor tools
as words when we think deepestl
The first impression we get upon
entering forest is that of its silence.
The effect may be depressing at first,
but this quickly gives way to won
derment. The moment we ask our
selves the reason of any condition we
meet, we have taken the first step
toward rational enjoyment. Curl
osity, that leads us into many a scrape
in town, is an excellent companion
when in the woods. Why are forests
SO apt to be silent? Primarily be-
cause they are comparatively unin-
habited as compared with the more
open country. Il am speaking of the
woodland tracts of to day. When
the country was all forested, the i'm
mediate banks of streams and lakes
attracted the greater portion of wild
life.) The few strictly wood birds
are not noisy species, and open coun-
try birds, when in the woods, are not
so given to singing as when they can
see in every direction and have the
sun shining directly upon them.
Mammals that lurk in the forest are
usually silent and asleep by day, and
wander forth and out of the woods
by night. T have often walked
mile in a dense woods, and heard
only the hiss of snake, the hum of
insects, or the rattle of loose bark
over which a lizard swiftly darted.
A light breeze may rustic the leaves,
sudden gust may cause touching
branches to creak, and in "the pines"
we have ever "that magic tone awak-
ened by the wind alone" But all
such sounds but intensity the silence.
We long for a sound from the throat
of living creature, and at last we
hear it. Then how alert is every
sense The possibly timid wanderer
becomes an explorer, and we have
reached the food tide of enjoyment
in a forest. Some strange bird or
beast uttered a cry, and we would
know what manner of creature it was.
l know of no greater pleasure than
that of solving such mysteries. To
follow sound through the woods is
hunting par excellence, and the game
we bag, if we do bag it, has not
yielded up its little life to satisfy our
whim. 1t is not unlikely the sound
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