The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-13
LEGEND OF THECROSS
WOOD DERIVED FROM THE TREE OF
LIFE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

a Story of the Death OF Adam and the
Crucilxion of Christ Which Was Recited
In the Middle Agcs-How Seth Got a
Glimpse OF Paradise.
When Adam was banished from par
adise he lived i'll penitence, endeavor-
ing TO eNpiatc the past by prayer and
toll. When he reached a great age and
felt death approach, he called Seth to
him and said: go, my son, to the ter
restrial paradise and ask the archangel
who keeps the gate to give me balsam
which will save me from death. You
will easily find the way, because my
footprints scorched the soil as 1 left
paradise. Follow my blaokened traces
and they will conduct you to the gate
whence was expelled"
Seth fastened to paradise The way
was barren, vegetation was scanty and
of somber colors. Over all Law the black
prints of his fathers and mothers feet.
Presently the walls surrounding para
disc appeared. Around them nature re-
vlved, the earth was covered with YER
durc and dappled with flowers. The air
vibrated with beautiful music. Seth
was dazzled with the beauty which sur
rounded him, and he walked OH forget
full of his mission. Suddenly there
flashed before him wavering line of
fire upright, like n serpent of light con-
tinuously Quivering. 1t was the flaming
sword i'll the hand of the cherub who
guarded the gate.
AS Seth drew nigh he saw that the
angels wings We're expanded so as to
block the door. He Frustrated himself
before the cher1b, unable to utter q
word. But the heavenly being read i'll
his soul, better than a mortal can read
u book, the words which were there i'm
pressed, and he said:
The time Of pardon is not yet come
-Four thousand years must roll away be-
fore the Redcemer shall open the gate
to Adam, closed by his disobedience
But as n token Of future pardon the
wood whereon redemption shall be won
shall grow from the tomb of thy father.
Behold what he lost by his transgres-
sionv'
AT these words the angel swung open
the great portal of gold and fire and
Seth looked in.
He beheld fountain, clear as crystal.
sparkling like silver dust, playing in
the midst Of the garden, and gushing
forth i'll four living streams. Before
this mystic fountain grew n mighty
tree, with Il trunk of vast bulk and
thickly branched, but destitute of bark
and foliage. Around the bole was
wreathed frightful serpent or cater
pillar, which had scorched the bark and
devoured the leaves. Beneath the tree
was precipice. Seth beheld the roots
of the tree in hell. There Cain was
striving to grasp the roots and Chamber
up them into paradise, but they laced
themselves around the body and limbs
of the fratricide as the threads of a
SPIDERS web entangle n fly, and the
fibers Of the tree penetrated the body of
Cain as though they were endowed with
life. Horror struck at this awful sight
Seth raised his eyes to the summit of
the tree. There all was changed. The
tree had grown till its branches reached
heaven. The boughs were covered with
leaves, flowers and fruit. But the fair
est fruit WAS Il little babe, living SUM-
who seemed TO be listening to the songs
Of seven white doves who circled about
his head. 4 woman, more lovely than
the moon, bore the child in her arms.
Then the cherub closed the door and
said: Il give thee now three seeds taken
from that tree. When Adam is dead,
place these three seeds in thy fathers
mouth and bury him..
So Seth took the seeds and returned
to his father. Adam was glad to hear
what his son told him and praised God
On the third day after the return of
Seth he died. Then his son buried him
i'll the skins Of beasts which God had
given him for covering, and his sepul-
cher was on Golgotha- In course of time
three trees grew from the seeds brought
from paradise. One was cedar, anoth-
er q cypress and the third pine. They
grew with marvellous force thrusting
their branches to right and left 1t was
with one Of these boughs that Moses per-
formed his miracles i'll Egypt, brought
water out Of the rock and healed those
whom the serpents slew III the desert
In the time of Solomon this was the
noblest Of the trees of Lebanon. 1t sur
passed all i'll the forests Of King Hiram
as monarch surpasses those who crouch
at his feet. Now, when the son Of David
erected his palace he cut down this tree
to convert it into the main pillar sup
porting his roof. But al i'll vain. The
column refused to answer the purpose
1t was at ono time too long, at another
too short. Surprised at this resistance,
Solomon lowered the walls of his palace
to suit the beam, but at once it shot up
and piefced the roof, like an arrow
flt.ixr