The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-24
The First Christmas Tree.

From Profitable Tales" by Eugene
Fieid)
One day the tree heard some, one coming
through the forest. Hitherto the angel had
| fastened 10 its side when men approached,
| But now the angel strobe away and stood
under the cedars yonder.
| Dear angel" cried the tree. "can you
rot hear te footsteps of some one ap-
| preaching? Why do You leave me-"
Have no fear" said the angel ''for He
| who comes is the Master
The Master came to the tree and beheld
IL He placed His hand upon its smooth
trunk and branches, and the tree was
thrilled with strange and glorious delight.
Then He stopped and kissed the tree, and
then He turned and went away.
Many times after that the Master came
in the forest, and when He came it al
ways was to where the tree stood. Many
times He rested beneath the tree and en-
joyed its foliage and listened to the music
of tn wind as it swept through the rust
ling leaves. Many times He slept there,
and the tree watched over Him, and the
forest was still and all it's voices were
hushed. And the angel hovered near like
a faithful sentinel.
Ever and anon men came with the Mas
ter to the forest, and sat with Him in the
shade Of the tree, and talked with Him
OF matters which the tree could never un-
derstand; only it heard that the talk was
OF love and charity and gentleness, and
it saw that the Master was beloved and
venera ted by the others. 1t heard them
tell of the Masters goodness and humil-
ity-how He had healed the sick and raised
the dead and bestowed inestimable bless
ings wherever He walked. And the tree
loved the Master for His beauty and good
ness, and when He came TO the forest II
was full of joy, but when He came not
it was said. And the other trees of the
forest Joined in its happiness and its sor-
row, for they. too, loved the Master. And
the angel always hovered near.
The Master came one night alone into
the forest, and His face was pale with
anguish and wet with tears, and He fell
upon His knees and prayed. The tree
heard Him, and all the forest was still: as
If it were standing in the presence of death
And when the warning came, 10, the angel
had gone.
Then there was great confusion in
the forest. There was a sound of rude
voices and clashing of swords and slaves
Strange men appeared, uttering loud oaths
and cruel threats, and the tree was filled
but the angel came not.
Alas" cried the vine, they have come
to destroy the tree, the pride and glory of
the forest
The forest was sorely agitated, but it
was in vain. The strange men piled their
axes with cruel vigor. and the tree was
hewed to the ground. Its beautiful branch
es were cut away and cast aside and its
soft, thick foliage was strewn to the ten
derer mercies of the winds.
They are killing me.' cried the tree.
why is not the angel here to protect me?"
But no one heard the piteous cry-none
but the other trees of the forest, and they
wept, and the little kline wept, too.
Then the cruel men dragged the despoiled
and hewn tree from the forest, and the
forest saw the beauteous thing no more
But the night wind that swept down
from the city of the Great King that night
to ruffle the bosom of distant Galilee, tar
ried in the forest a while 10 say that it
had seen that day a cross upraised on |
Caivary-the tree on which, was stretched |
the body Of tie dying Master