The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-20
A LEGEND OF THE CROSS.
The Wood Derived From the Tree of
Life In the Garden OF Eden.


Life In the Garden OF Eden.
From Barring Gould's Myths OF the Md
die Ages"
When Adam was banshed from para
disc he lived in penltence. endeavoring to
expiate the past by prayer and toll. When
he reached a great age and felt death ap-
preach he called Seth 10 him and said:
Go. my son. TO the terrestrial Paradise
and ask the Archangel who keeps the
gate 10 give me balsam which VIII save
me from death. You will easily md the
way, because my footprints scorched the
soil as l left Paradise. Follow my black
ened traces ami they will conduct you 10
the gate whence l was expelled"
Seth FASTENED TO paradise. The way was
barren, vegetation was scanty and OF SOM
Der colors; over all lay the black prints
OF his fathers and mothers feet. Pres
emily the walls surrounding paradise APP
peared. Around them nature revived, the
earth was covered with verdure and dap
pied with flowers. The air vibrated with
beautiful music. Seth was dazzled with
the beauty which surrounded him. and he
walked on forfetgul OF his mission. sud
denly there flashed before him waver-
ing line OF IRE. upright, like a serpent
Of light continuously quivering.. II was
the flaming sword in the hand OF the
cherub who guarded the gate.
. As Seth drew nigh he saw that the
angels wings were expanded 80 as 70
block the DOOR He Frustrated himself
before the cherub. unable TO utter a word
But the heavenly being read in his soul,
better than a mortal can read book,
the words which were there impressed,
and he said:
The time OF pardon is not yet come.
-Four thousand years must roll away be-
Tore the Redeemer shall open the gate 10
Adam, closed by his disObedience. But as
token of future pardon the wood where
on redemption shall be won shall grow
from the tomb of thy father. Behold what
he lost by his transgression!'
At these words fha angel swung omen
the great portal Of gold and fire and Seth
looked In.
He beheld fountain, clear as crystal
sparkling Ike silver dust, playing In the
midst OF the garden. and gushing forth in
four living streams. Before this mystic
fountain grew mighty tree, with trunk
of vast bulk and thickly branched, but
destitute of bark and foliage. Around the
bole was wreathed a frightful serpent or
caterpillar, which had scorched the bark
and devoured the leaves. Beneath the tree
was a 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 fratri-
eide, as the threads of a spiders web en-
tangle a fly and the fibres OF the tree pen
etrated 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 chang
ed. The tree had grown till its branches
reached heaven. The boughs were cover
ed with leaves flowers and fruit. But the
fairest fruit was a little babe, living son,
who seemed to be listening 10 the songs OF
seven white doves who circled about his
head. A woman, more lovely than the
moon, bore the child in her arms.
Then the cherub closed the door, and
said: 81 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 wha'
his son told him and praised God.
on the third day after the return OF Seth
he died. Then his son buried him IN the
skins of beasts which God had given him
for a covering, and his sepulchre was III
Golgotha. In the course OF time three trees
grew from the seeds brought from para
disc. One was a cedar another a cypress
and the third a pine. They grew with
marvellous force, thrusting their branches
to right and left. 1t was with one or THESE
boughs that Moses performed his mira
Giles in Egypt brought water out OF the
rock and healed those whom the serpents
slew in the desert.
noblest of trees Of Lebanon. 1t surpassed
| all the forests of King Hiram as mon
arch surpasses those who crouch AT MS
| feet. Now, when the son OF DAVID erec Greece
/ his palace he cut down this tree to conVerl
| Ii into the main pillar supporting MS roof
| But an in vain. The column refused (
answer the purpose. II was at one l uinS
| too long at another too short. Surprised
| at this resistance, Solomon lowered tht
walls of his palace to suit the beam, Dul
/ at once IL shot up ana pierced tne Iooi
| like an arrow driven through a piece OF
| canvas or a bird recovering It's liberty
| Solomon, enraged, cast the tree over Ce'
dron, that all might trample II as they
| crossed the brook.
The Queen of Sheba found It there, and
| recognizing its virtue had II raised. solo
mon then buried 1t. Some time after the
! king dug the pool Of Bethesda on the
! spot This pond at once acquired miraeu'
| lous properties, and healed the sick whc
locked to 1t. The water owed its virtues
| 10 the beam which lay beneath 1t.
When the time Of the crucitixion OF
! Christ drew near this wood rose TO the
! surface and was brought out of the water
| The executioners, when seeking a suita.
/ bic beam to serve for the cross, found Il
| and of It made the instrument OF the death
| of the Saviour After the crucihxion II
was buried on Calvary, but the mother
| of Constantine the Great, the Empress
| Helena, found II deep In the ground witt
two others. Christ's was distinguished
| from those Of the thieves by sick woman
! being cured by touching 1t.