The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-26
A LEGEND OF THE CROSS.
The Wood Derived From the Tree of Life
In the Garden OF Eden.
From Barring C01ld,s nNIvths Of the

The Wood Derived From the Tree of Life
In the Garden OF Eden.
From Barring Gould's Myths of the
Middle Ages"
When Adam was banished from
Paradise he lived In penitence, endeav-
oring to expiate 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
terrestrial paradise and ask the Arch
angel who keeps the gate to give me a
balsam which will save me from death
You will easily find the way, because
my footprints scorched the soil as
left Paradise. Follow my blackened
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 lay the
black prints of his fathers and moth
er's feet. Presently the walls surround
ing Paradise appeared. Around them
nature revived, the earth was covered
with verdure and dappled with flowers.
The air vibrated with beautiful music,
Seth was dazZled with the beauty which
surrounded him, and he walked on for
getful of his mission. Suddenly there
flashed before him a wavering line of
fire, upright, like a serpent of light
continuously quivering. 1t was the
flaming sword in the hand of the cher
ub who guarded the gate.
AS Seth drew nigh he saw that the
angels wings were expanded so as to
block the door. He Frustrated him
self before the cherub, unable to utter
a word. But the heavenly being read
in his soul, better than a mortal can
read in a book, the words which were
there impressed, and he said:
-. - H.. l..
Four thousand years must roll away
before the Redeemer shall open the
gate to Adam, closed by his disobedi-
ence. But as a token of future pardon,
the wood wherein redemption shall be
won shall grow from the tomb of thy
father. Behold what he lost by his
transgression."
the great portal of gold and fire and
Seth looked in.
He beheld a fountain, clear as crystal
sparkling like silver dust, playing in
the midst of the garden, and gushing
forth in four living streams. Before
this mystic fountain grew a mighty
tree, with a trunk of vast bulk and
4 thickly branched, but destitute of bark
and foliage. Around the bole was
wreathed a frightful serpent or cater
pillar which had scorched the bark and
devoured the leaves. Beneath the tree
1 was a precipice. Seth beheld the roots
/ of the tree in hell. There Cain was
striving to grasp the roots and Chamber
up them to Paradise; but they laced
/ themselves around the body and limbs
| of the fratricide. as the threads of the
i spiders web entangle the fly, and the
| fibers of the tree penetrated the body
4 OF Cain as though they were endowed
| with life. Horrorstruck at this awful
sight, Seth raised his eyes to the sum
| init OF the tree. There all was changed
| The tree had grown TILL its branches
reached heaven. The boughs We're COW
| cred with leaves, flowers and fruits
But the fairest fruit was a little babe
| a living sun, who seemed TO be listening
TO the songs OF seven white doves who
circled about his head. A woman
more lovely than the moon. bore IN,
child in her arms.
Then the cherub closed the door and
said: II give thee now three seeds TAX
| en- from that tree. When Adam is dead
| place these three seeds in thy father.
mouth, and bury him"
So Seth took the seeds and returned
| to his father. Adam was glad to heal
| what his son told him AMI praised God
On the third day after the return o.
! Seth he died. Then his son buried hin
in the skins of beasts. which God haC
! given him for a covering. and his sep
ulchre was on GOlgotha. In course o
time three trees grew from the seed
brought from Paradise. One was a &C
dsr. another a cypress and third