The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-08-03
THE BEECH TREE.

There stood in the forest all old beech
tree. Her top was shattered by light
ming, her sides were hollow, and pieces
Of fungus grew OIL her bark. She was
the Oldest of q numerous family, but
she had seen her children, as 0 as
they had grown up, fall under the wood
mans AK, and only n daughter re-
manned to her. This daughter was a
young beech tree, with smooth bark and
heaven aspiring crest and only so years
old. That is the best year for a forest
tree.
The old tree still thrust ont her twigs
and leaves in the spring, but she felt
that her life was drawing to a close, for
it cost her great suffering to hold herself
upright. And because she knew that she
must die she felt her love increase for
her beautiful daughter.
Spring was approaching. The branches
were still covered with the glittering
frost, but the roots began to uncurl,
and the warm wind melted the snow.
The rivers and brooks were swelling
with melted ice. In the meadows the
silvery catkins burst from their. wrap
pings, and the snowdrops peeped timid-
ly up through the white carpet of the
forest ground.
The old tree spoke to the young: "To-
night come the violent thaw wind. It
will throw me down upon my bed of
leaves that l have scattered in the curse
of time, and l shall 60 back into the
bosom of the mother from whom I
came. Yet before l go home I will be-
queath to you a gift that the gentle lord
of the forest bestowed upon me when
long ago he stopped to rest under my
branches. You shall understand mems
words and deeds and share alike in their
joys and sorrows. That is the greatest
happiness that can fall to our lot, but
be prepared to behold more sorrow than
Joy" So spoke tho old tree and blessed
her daughter.
In the night the thaw wind came
from the west. 1t buried ships in the
a Of the sea; it rolled great masses
Of snow from the mountains that de-
stroyed the homes of men in their prog
ress; it roared through the forest, and
everything that was old and weak per.
ished. But the strong trees resisted it.
It struck the old beech tree to the earth
and shook her strong daughter as she
wisely bent her head before the blast.
and the great wind swept on.
Three days the daughter wept spar,
Killing dew for her mother; then the sun
came out and dried her tears. Then be.
gan everywhere such stir and commo-
tion that the beech tree had no time to
rrioro to-, 1,,11 c1vo1JrJ ,~l b,,,+ o,S
one morning a hundred thousand trem-
bling, tender green leaves sprang into
the sunshine. That was joy! Golden
yellow primroses climbed from the
ground. They pushed their silken leaves
out into the broad sunlight. Red and
blue blossoms grew up around the prim'
roses, and the sweet woodruff uncurled
it's delicate whirled leaves. That was
life.
And in the midst Of all this bloom
and fragrance the young beech tree stooG
like a queen. A finch built her nest il
her branches and a redheaded wood
pecker paid her a visit. Once cuckoo
came and nee u distinguished squire
with his bushy tail over his head ra1
up and down to see if he might not fine
all acorn. But men she had not yet seer
this year, and they would lave been thu
most welcome guests of all, since slit
possessed the power to understand theil
words and deeds. After all, one morning
came a slender young girl with her Ions
brown braids, who walked through thu
woods straight to the tree. However
her visit did not seem to be for thu
beech alone. She glanced at the decay
ing trees OF the ground and said, "Her'
is the spot" Then she sat down hel
basket filled with May flowers ant
leaned back against the beech tree with
out a glance at its green loneliness.
The tree held her breath to hear wha
the maiden would say, but the pretty
one was silent. Presently from the op
posite side appeared q strong young
man. He wore o little round hat with
curling feather like q huntsman. HI
crept up cautiously-so cautiously tina
hardly leaf rustled under his feet. Blu
softly as he stepped the quick ear of tn,
maiden perceived his coming. Sh'
turned her head toward him, and tn,
tree thought "Now she will fly" Blu
the girl did not fly. Instead she sprane
toward the youth and threw both arms
around his brown neck. my Hans!'
my Eva! !" they cried together. Their
they kissed each other ~passionately
<alled each other pet names, embraced
again, and tho beech tree found it al
very tedious.
Later they sat under the tree ane