Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-11-23

light, but il was electric light or phos-
phorescent light, not the light OF sun
or moor. But the botanical and po-
mological productions came on We'd
neSday-frst the flowers. and then the
fruits, The veil OF fog is lifted. and
there stand the orchards. Watch the
sudden maturity of the fruit! In our
time rear trees must have two years
before they bear fruit, and peach trees
three years, and apple trees five years;
but here, instantly. a complete orchard
springs into life, all the branches bear
ing fruit. The insectile forces, which
have been doing their worst to destroy
the fruits for six thousand years. had
not yet begun their invasion. The
curculio had not yet stung the plum,
nor the caterpillar hurt the apple, nor
had the phyiloxera plague, which has
devastated the vineyards OF America
and France. assailed the grapes, nor
the borer perforated the wood, nor the
nphides ruined the cherry. nor the
grub punctured the nectarine, nor the
blight struck the pear. There stood the
FIRST orchard. with perfection of
rind, and an cXquisiteness Of color, and
a lusciousness Of taste. and an af-
iuence of production which it may
take thousands OF years more Of study
OF the science Of fruits to reproduce.
Why was the orchard created two
days before the fish and birds. and
three days before the cattle? Among
nther things. to impress the world
with a lesson it is too stupid TO learn
that fruit diet is healthier than meat
diet, and that the former must pre-
cede the latter. The reason there are
In the world so many of the imbrutcd
and sensual is that they have not i'm
proved by the mighty, unnotlced fact
that the orchards OF paradise preceded
the herds and aviaries, and fish-ponds.
Oh. those fruit-bearing trees on the
banks Of the Euphrates, and the Gil
hon. and the Hiddekel! l wonder not
that the ancient Romans, ignorant OF
our Cod, adored Pomona, the Goddess
OF Fruits, and that all the sylvan del
ties were said to worship her, and that
groves were set apart as her temples.
You have thanked God for bread
tbausand times. Have you thanked
him for the fruits which he MADE the
first course OF food in the menu of the
worlds table? The acids of those
fruits to keep the worlds table from
being insipid, and their sweets to keep
It from being too sour?
At this autumnal season how the or
chards breathe and GLOW, the leaves re-
moved, that the crimson. or pink. or
saffron, or the yellow, or brown NAV
the better appear, while the aromatics
fiji the air with invitation and remi-
niscence AS you pass through the
orchard on these autumnal days and
look up through the arms Of the trees
laden with fruit, you hear humping
on the ground that which is fully ripe,
and, throwing your arms around the
trunk, you give a shake that sends
down shower Of gold and fire on all
sides Of you. Pile up in baskets and
barrels and bins and on shelves and
tables the divine supply. But these
orchards have been under the assault
OF at least sixty centurics-the storm.
the droughts, the winters, the insec.
tivora. What must the first orchard
have been? And yet it is the explor-
er's evidence that on the site Of that
orchard there is not an apricot. or an
apple, or an olivc-nothing but desert
and desolation. There is not enough
20 forage the explorers horse, muca
less to iced his own hunger. l. ether
words, that FIRST orchard is lost CT
. ,Fct
proprietress Of all that intercoluEln!-
alton of fruitage, let the rich splendor
slip their possession? 1t was as now
most OF the orchards are lost; namely,
by wanting more. Access they had to
all the fg-trees, apricots, walnuts. all
monds, apples-bushels on Bushels
and were forbidden the use of only one
tree in the orchard. Not satisfied with
all but one, they reached for that, and
lost the whole orchard. Go right down
through the business marts of the
great cities and find among the weigh
ers and clerks and subordinates, men
who once commanded tho commercial
world. They had a whole orchard of
successes, but they wanted Just one
more thing-one more house, or one
more country-seat. or one more store,
or one more railroad, or one more mil
lion They clutched for that, and lost
all they had gained. For one more
tree they lost whole orchard. There
are business men all around US wor-
ried nearly to death. The doctor tells
them they ought to stop. Insomnia
or indigestion or aching at the base OF
the brain or ungovernable nerves tell
them they ought to stop. They really
have enough for themselves and their
families. Talk with them about their
overwork, and urge more prudence and
longer rest, and they say: Eyes, you
are right; after ] have accomplished
one more thing that / have on my
mind l will hand over my business
TO my sons and go to Europe, and quit
the kind OF exbausting life have been
= living for the last thirty years" Some
morning you open your paper, and,
looking at the death column. you find