The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-05-12
The Row of Little Trees.
fannie Hamilton Donnell in lions Herald.

ed ont to be little indignant, but the
sight of Miss Lyddy's surprised face cured
that feeling-of course Miss Lyddy didn't
keep run of Arbor Days. She wasn't
going to plant trees in the great bare
playground of the new high school, with
all the other fellows.
Land O mercy, Neil Prentiss, You
don't say to- morrow is Arbor Day.
cried Miss Lyddy ''Why, l thought I'd
been keepin' count an twas four weeks
off,
you're month behind the times,
Miss Lyddy, that's all, laughed Neil
again. 1t was always easy for Neil
Prentiss to laugh. His mother said the
corners of his mouth didn't know when
to turn down!
The high school bell began to ring out
its clear imperative summons and he
TUNED away hurriedly. The last little
glimpse of Miss Lyddy's face made him
cali back over his shoulder--it looked so
disappointed-''T IN sorry, Miss Lyddy,
honest Injun | am, but / couldn't cut
down a tree on Arbor Day, you know.
1t would be like telling a lie Washington S
Birthdayr'
He strobe away whistling, but wheeled
again at the corner. Miss Lydia was still
standing on her little porch steps.
Il sa-ay, Miss Lyddy"' he called in his
bright, big voice.
"What say?''
''Ill come over after te-a-after tea
an cut it do wnr'
Then he turned the corner and was out
OF sight
Lydia Hit went into the house and shut
the door. She was mildly excited So
tomorrow was Albor Day. Land O mercy,
and she d thought twas month more to
wait Y0-moIy0lc!
well, I'm thankful Neil Prentiss is
comm to cut the Tree down to-day.
That S got to be done first
The Tree stood out in Miss Lydia Hit S
tiny space offront yard 1t was all the tree
there was. That vas why Miss Lyddy
spelt it mentally with capital 7. 1t
was three years since the Tree began to
die, and now it was dead. The mourn
ing for it was over Miss Lyddy had set
her lips firmly and decreed its fate.
ITS dead-an' it nights we'll be
buried" she said. 81 shall hire Neil
Prentiss to cut it down.
She gazed at it now through the small
paned window. The imperfections in the
glass curiously contorted and twisted its
limbs. There was no leaf upon them, or
hint of sap within.
Its stood there nigh fifty years, l
guess, Miss Lyddy murmured, plain
lively. 81 warn't more than dozen years
old when father planted it. He wouldn't
plant but one because he said he'd got to
have room to set his feet out, too! Father
was terrible hand to joke
Beyond the tiny path of yard ran the
straight, barren line of roadway, east and
west. A sidewalk edged the road on Miss
/ vrf do nff Not frao
in sight-eXcept the doomed Tree, bare
and dead-unless, as she said you craned
your neck clear out of the window and saw
Larkin Dreer's pear orchard. The black
smiths shop was on one side of Miss
Lyddy and the little unused, desolate
chapel on the other. 1t was really no
wonder her old eyes yearned for greenness
and freshness-and trees. She had been
tree hungry ever since she could remember
She had longed unutterably for Tow of
little naples along the sidewalk, to dip
and nod in the wind and put on Joseph
coats in the fall. And now she was going
to have them! She was going to have an
ATbor Day of her oNn-dear land O
mercy, was she too old a ready to plant d
tree
Neil came with his axe after tea, and
Miss Lydia Went out with him.
II N the only mourner there is, she
said. II guess | can go to the funeral.
But, Neil Plenjiss' - her plain face was
solemn and IMPRESSIVE
Yes, Miss Lyddy?'
Don't You chop hard-chop easy.
amt going to have the old Tree abused"
Neil laughed to himself What funny
little old woman Miss Lyddy was. Chop
down a tree easy, to save its feelings,
The trunk was thick, and Neil's ''easy'
blows only denied tia little deeper with
every one. Blu he was in no hurry.
''Y Ju mustn' t sit so near it, Miss Lyd-
dy," he warned her. ''Maybe it Il fall
your way--just as likely's not. Please
move your chair further away
With UNIV oodsmanike craft he was
chipping eli cle all around the trunk-it
was matter Of speculation which way
the tree would fail. He had never chop
pee down tree before.
Miss Lydia refused to be warned.
''Do you think the Tree would fall on
Def' She said, scornfully. Then l guess
you ain acquainted with it We've been
close friends for fifty years, Neil Prentiss
the Tree and me-
Between the blows, the boy chatted
gaily with Miss Lyddy.
''We're going to have a regular built
JpliS tiHlt dl Liz SCIOOl-uOuSt TO- lnOT-
row." he said. my, amt we jist! We're
going to set out a perfect forest of trees
and things-gong off into the woods for
am''-another resounding blow. Neil
lad forgotten TO be easy" I'm hay
rack, you know, Miss Lyddy-all us boys
The girls are going to stay at home and
get up treat for US regular built
spread! My, l wouldn't miss it for any
thing
'Tm goin' to have an Arbor Day, too"
confided Miss Lydia, a little shyly. Neil
was the first person she had told. 'I' m
goin' to plant little row of maple trees
in front O my house-right along the side
walk. I've had the places marked for EN-
from clear back. You stop chopin
minute, Neil Prentiss, and come and see"
Nei's axe dropped cheerfully His eyes
were wide with astonishment Miss Lyddy
going to plant trees! She was growing
funnier and funnier. There were little
stakes set up alorg the side of the road at
regular intervals. Bits of white strings
were tied around them.
THAI $ to see EN- by" Miss Lyddy ex-
planned Il like to look out the window
and see 'em, ano I'm getting kind of
short sighted. There six stakes-they' re
twenty feet apart. | want the trees real
close. Six of 'em will give one for the
meetin house and one for the hlackSt1ith