Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-03
THE WORLD AWAKES
DAME NATURE is GLORIOUS IN vIR-
GINIAs woNDROUs WOODLANDS.
THE AFTON LADYS PRETTY THOUGHTS
Her Pen Sketches the beauties OF
Our Forest and Breathes Out n
shvan Fragrance-Echoes from the
Nelson Hills.

ALTON. VA. Aphil 2-CSpecial)-It
has come again-the leafy month-the
month Of April; April with her CHEEKY
smiles. her sudden tears, her peeps Of
green everywhere, her signs Of growth
on bush and bank and tree.
suddenly, without warning, there is in
Tie air, in tho earth. and in the feeling
az men, an indescribable quickening. The
pulses OF nature begin 10 move. In the
old way, made new, the patience at the
heart OF things Is working out once more
Tho old miracle Of the awakening world.
Nothing ) ever forgotten; no atom Of
matter lost; no death-in an indehnable
way there is only a passing on to meet
another stage Of development. only
those who live in the country can really
know what this month of April means;
what Il IS 10 watch for the early wild
flowers; 70 catch the first shy notes Of a
yenturous bird; to hear the trickling Of
water broken from its icy bounds back
IN the hills. and coming down now with
"a laugh and a song; beyond and above
all. TO wander forth among the thousand
sounds OF the universe Of the woods and
forget for the time that conventonali-
ties ever hedged US about Just one hour
Of walking through these breezy arcades,
where the very trees seem to have a dis
unct vitality as they throw off their
Information and burst 10 bud and tender
foliage here and there, brings a sense of
life and warmth, "a glow Of renewal and
happiness that make It enough TO live.
THESE WONDERFUL WOODS.
These wonderful woods OF oak and
beech and crimson, budding MAPLE with
the yellow light coming down in sunny
spots. are like the forests one reads Of
IN childish fairy tales. Through such
woods Red Ridinghood had gone uncon-
sciOus 10 her doom. Through such a
forest Fatima's brothers had ridden TO
tho rescue OF Bluebeard's last victim.
In just such woods Beauty had dwelt
meekly I'm the palace Of the enchant-
cd Beast under such spreading
trees she bent over the dying monster,
breathing soft words of pity into his
ear. and had seen him restored to the
grace and glory OF manhood-the perfect
prince OF Fairyland!
An. well, the thrill of a spring day be-
meath tho opening leaves brings strange
day dreams, and not more marvellous
were our fairy tales than this swift trans
formation OF wintry twigs and branches
from sers BROWNIES to all the variegated
green's that range between a tender let
tuce leaf and the sombre tint OF the ivy
lost In shadow.
PLANT A TREE"
saw, not long since. newspaper con-
tention as to the authorship Of poem
entitled. PLANT Tree" which was at
uihuted TO ex-Secretary Morton. 1t was
really written by Lucy Larcom, and is
one Of the few poems-leaving plagiarism |
as.de-which is quite worthy Of imita- |
ton:
He who plants a tree,
lie plants youth;
N.gor won for centuries, in sooth
LII. OF time, that hints eternity!
B0ughs their strength uprear,
New shoots. every year,
ON old grOwths appear
Thou shalt teach the ages, sturdy tree,
Youth Of soul is Immortality"
For in all the vegetable kingdom there
!s nothing Of such wOndrous beauty as
tree. nor of such absorbing interest from
the first great pines and tree-ferns OF
'ae fossil age, which Natures change
q. forces have since made into coal
Ter us. 10 the giant oaks OF the Blue
Ridge forests. In Saxon mythology the
names Of mystic trees are legion, and
their talismanic properties just as hume
nous. First among these Is the OAK,
which ls the embodiment of ThoTs sacred
fire.. You should never mutilate an oak
iu The slightest degree II you wish the
murderer 20 remain your friend Inc
us,rogoths prohibited by law the cut
ting down Of any trees Of oak or hazel'
tle latter being also a lightning, or tre-
tree. and dear 20 Thor There Is sun
trace in England Of the old custom De-
gun by the worshippCrs of the thunoer-
god of planting oaks on the boundaries
of lands, this act being sure 10 gain MS
Protection
By whatever name they make invoke
MN, red D. a color sacred 10 the HS-
sod. For this reason the mountain ash,
With It's scarlet berries. Is deeply venerateu
ia Die wood-lore Of the forests. In Ger
many people put twigs Of ash about sta
Dies 10 keep the witches from knottihs
me horses tails-a superstition when was
Wol-kuOwn among the southern slaves
and may have been Of this origin
Serpcnts are IN deadly fear of an ash
iee since most of them are possessed
Dry devils, and the canny scot. who IKE
DIS famous Tam. "kens what's what III
biawiy" uses ash sap for their bites
MYSTIC VIRTUE OF THE ELDER.
Tine elder tree IS also Of mystic virtue.
ana is sacred 10 the fairies. The elder
leuies gathered at midnight OF mid
summer eve and worn over the heart
VII draw 10 you only good fairies IN
I-ak and love. and certainly al one hair
tAe Inconvenience of doubling on rab-
'.. foot across q lonely graveyard.
FGhaps OF al trees the hazel enjoys
tAc highest distinction. II was under a
.4zei-tree that the holy family took re-
.lse from a storm while on their hlght
20 Egypt Just how one cannot see but
ron this conservation the maryels OF the
"~1'' are countless. The diyining rod to