Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-10-06
PARABLE.


trees whisper secrets of what's in the
past, and the wind answers back in
signs of what's to come; where birds
spend happy winters singing of what
they will do next, and the brisk little
Lizards run races among the crisp. yell
lowish grass; where the butterflies
whirl and whirl as they please, and the
hot sand lies in the sun and basks,
there lives a little tree.
A little water oak it is, with branches
as 1.-the and strong as ever a young tree
had, a little trunk OF its own, and
plenty of bright, smiling green leaves
waving in the sunlight. as some glad
little children will dance up and down
for the very joy of dancing.
All around that tree stretched miles
and miles of grest tall pines, with
water oaks live oaks, and here and
there a magnolia or a bay tree, most
of them draped in the long gray moss
which makes such.a lovely ~festoon. but
it is pretty sure to kill the tree sooner
or later.
This little tree had not danced many
days in its new spring suit Of green be.
fore it began to look around on the
other trees of its neighborhood, and
say to itself, looking very wise the
while:
Il mean to have some of that moss
myself. 1t looks very pretty and gives
mo an air of ease."
A few more days passed. The ground
-freaky creature-grew tired of the
coloring and shape of its wild little
flowers and busted itself making new
ones. The wonders she turned out day
after day were enough to make the liz
yards stare, so strange and new; but
they grew tired of watching this ever
changeful florist ages and ages ago, 'tis
said, and SO they frisked on.
How that tree accomplished it l can
not tell; whether some wicked little
bird helped him, or whether the care.
less wind dropped a seed on his way
somewhere else, or whether the naughty
seed came itself; however it was, one
bright bright morning that little tree
stool out against the clear sky, waving
one long, thin streamer of gray moss
in the fresh morning air.
"Hoity toity, what have we here?
He's beginning rather young, seems to
me-" said three butterflies, as they
whirled around the tree, each in a
hurry to get toe sweetest, largest drop
of honey.
The little tree heard, and felt offend.
ed and proud all in one.
BY and by a knocking bird came
along.
'Where'd you get that, little tree?
Aren't you afraid to keep it? It'll kill
you if you begin when you re so young.
Shall | pick it off and throw it down
for your"
mo, thank you, said the tree. "You
had better go on about your own bust
ness and l will attend to mine. / don't
intend to let this moss grow so large
mat 1t will kill me. I'm only going to
keep a small amount on hand for
beauty"
las you please" said the bird, "but
you'll be sorry" and he stretched his
wings and flew away up above the top
of the highest tree, and hoated in the
clear blue sky.
Just then whirled by the wind.
Hello, little tree. You had better
not harbor that moss very long. It's
dangerous. 1t kills some trees. There
is that great dead oak over there: | can
remember the time when 1t was the
largest and handsomest tree anywhere
around here, and it was ~smotbered to
death by that moss. 1t began with a
piece no larger than that you have
here. Let me carry it away for you. l
beg"
mo, | thank you" said the little
tree; very stifly. ''When | want YOU
assistance l will ask for it. / don't in
tend to be smothered to death. Look
at all those trees over there. They have
plenty of moss and they are alive
enough. I'll only keep a little of it for
fun. wouldn't think of carrying as
much of it as that tree over there. l
know when to stop. 1t is easy enough
to when one has enough"
"Ah, but" said the wind, vt is not
so easy as you think. That great bear
tree yonder, with only a few green
branches at the top, thought so too one,
but it let that moss grow and grow, un.
til it was fastened on so tightly that
wave itself as it would in the wind, il
could not get rid of it. and then all the
birds from far and near came and
tried to pick it off. but 1t was too much
for them to do; and the tree called all
the winds to help, but we blew and
blew and it did no good, and 1t was not
until a great wind from the north came
-one end OF a northern blizzard It was
that the moss could be removed. That
tree has never recovered from the shock
either. You can't expect to have a
great blizzard come to your assistance,
and and II 1t did 1t might kill you In
trying to help you, you are SO little,
Come, let me help you, won't you?
concluded next week.