Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-24
FROM 1THIE ACORN
How q Wise Brahman
Taught a Beautiful
Lesson.

as5G'5s't
To an ancient, pious Brahman was a
grandson born. Full of joy at the bless
ing which had again happened to his
house, he said: 81 will go out hence and
thank the great spirit and father of ma
ture, who has blessed us. Perhaps he
may give me opportunity to honor him,
even through one good deed"
So spoke the Brahman and went. The
blossom OF pure joy is gratitude and its
fruit benevOlence.
With the lively feeling Of honoring tho
great and beneiicent spirit, the old man
stepped into the fields, and, in the shade
of the trees, each of his thoughts was
prayer. Still sparkled the drops of n
freshly fallen shower on stalks, blossoms
and leaves.
Although he had already seen the
spring 90 times, nature seemed to him
again made young and fairer than ever,
for she grows not old to him who re-
veres her creator and recognizes in the
figure the benevolent sculptor
The old man set on his way forward,
and on the beaten path he found an
acorn. The rain had already, through its
fertilizing power. sent the germ forth.
and the shell burst asunder. but it could
not take root on the hard, bare path. He
stopped, took IL up and said:
"How charming it is to be brought thus
FAR on my way, for easily hadst thou
been trodden in pieces by the foot of the
wanderer or withered by the solar rays
Happy shall be If l can here do a good
work and, by deed, fulfill my inward SEN
timent and the aim Of wise nature ad-
vance, who with each breath shows
beneht-even the smallest thankfulness
is sweet duty"
A youngster who stood behind the oak
tree and who had caught up the words
Of the Brahman stepped forward and
jeeringy smiled.
"Why smilest thouT' asked the old
man.
The youngster answered AT thy child
ish thought, my elder, that thou canst
rejoice at having rescued the life Of an
acornr
"Youngster," said the Brahman, 'how
art thou able to know my thoughts, since
today is the first time thou hast seen me 4?
And why dost thou jeer at the small
service which | intend to perform TO ma
ture? To her is the acorn worth as much
as the tree. and without that this were
not Even virtue, my son, begins with
to the great, but the nearer she ap-
proaches to the completion OF the original
even so much the more she herself in
clines to humility and simplicity, and
then to her is worth the smallest as
much as the highest. Sends not Brahma,
too, his ray and dew on the blade of
grass as well as on the palm 2"
Thus spoke the old man with friendly
seriousness. The youngster silently with
drew himself full Of veneration. He had
seen the noble old man in his dignity,
and he wished to be like him, for frivol-
ity itself must in its heart revere virtue.
The Brahman set forward on his way to
hill which was overgrown round about
with thorns. He met peddler, who ask
ed: ''rhinkest thou that out OF an acorn
thou canst rear tree for thyself? Thou
wilt indeed scarcely have the joy of it's
shade"
The old man answered: Must one at
the planting think only on the shade OF
the tree and on oncselfI Does nature
so? My son. he who has not planted
earlier than and before yesterday finds
in the planting itself his motive and his
JOY"
He came TO the hill. on the peak OF
which. among the thorns, he buried the
acorn and covered it carefully over with
earth and moss.
why plantest thou among thorns?"
called out herdsman opposite to him.
Thou carest badly for thy nursing"
Friend" replied the Brahman. $50
long as the little plant is tender and small
the thorns will shelter it from raw winds
and injury, and when it grows up it will
work a way through for itself, for ii is
y | hax nlf e 90
nature. The good mother considers equal
ly the tenderness and strength of her fos-
ter children"
After the old man had completed his
work he trod gayly on the way back to
his homestead. As he drew near to his
hut his grandsons and great-grandsons
sprang toward him and asked, Where
hast thou been so long?"
But he asso mbled them around him and
recounted all which had happened to him,
and the little children caressed the old
man while he spoke. The elder ones, how
ever, hung on his lips and hardened to
him.
oh said the old man when he had
finished, there is certainly no place fair
er than in the lap OF nature, when the
father loves his offspring and in the quiet
circle of his family is beloved by his chill
dren. Yes, love Astounding Brahmaw
cried he. and glanced upward to heaven,
lin the quiet circle of nature and of do
nestle peace stands thy holy templel"
The new planted oak soon grew forth
out OF the germ and raised itself up
above the thorns and became a spreading
shady tree. There died the old man, and
his loved ones buried him on the hill, and
whenever they saw the tree and heard its
rustlings they were mindful of the life
and wise sayings OF the Brahman, even to
the latest times, and recited from him
and sought to become like him, for the
word of a wise man is as a grain of corn
In fruitful ground.-Boston Globe.
Imagery of the Malay Language.
The study of the Malay language is