The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-16
A SHADOW OF THE SUBSTANCE.


left Useless twigs OF the family tree
which they Topped of much as they would
have liked TO lop of living lateral
branches which they regarded as so much
dead wood. The modern invention OF tbs
charitable rummage sale helped them cut
but some Of their objects q art were not
eligible even 10 a rummage sale One was
a stately palm that occupied niche II
the nah, planted in q tub Of moss that
had a suhs0ii Of black earth. rearing its
green foliage 10 the ceiling. A pretentious
palm, with a crown OF green foliage. ehai-
longing notice from every casual caller.
What will we do with i ?" asked Mrs
Clarkson, fretfully; I'VE can't sell It nor
give il away
George-Nr. Clarlxson-had always de-
spised that palm tree. which had served
with their first anniversary supper as one
! of the decorations and either forgotten by
/ the florist OF charged without itemizing IN
the blll-he never knew which. II had
! stayed by them faithfully ever since. and
/ was their bette noir when they had com
/ pany, il required SO much explanation.
/ These are some Of the comments they
would overhear.
Must be famous dust gatherer'
Reminds one of the palms OF Jerusa-
/ lent is SO different
should be covered with mosquito net
ting"
Think of the tender associations con
nected with it.
/ Isn't it a CHASTITY green?"
It had served as = hat rack of late
/ years, but no hard service had any eff
/ feet on its eternal bloom and occasionally
Mrs. Garrison felt sorry for it and gave IL
I a brushing up and a liberal supply Of
! water, and wondered what in the world
she should do with it. now that they had
outgrown the age Of pinchbeck and were
/ in the era OF pure gold.
i know, suddenly announced Mr..
Clarkson. Send 1t 10 old Simeon. He'll
! sit under its shade the rest Of his life.
Why, it Will turn that dingy shop of his
into palm garden. And he is so blind,
so he'll never know
But his customers win. and they'll tell
him. He viii just worship that palm"
Mary responded George. soiemnly,
what the eve doesn't see the heart
| doesn't feel. II would take all the value
from the gift TO tell him the truth. Here
John, take this over TO Simeon's shop
Mrs. Clarkson sends il, mind. Tell him
not TO water it too often. nor give it a
sun bath. He'll be the only shoemaker in
the city that can cobble shoes under his
own palm tree"
Old Simeon. the blind cobbler. sat work
ing at his bench when John ushered in
the palm, the top OF which brushed the
ceiling. The old man put aside the neigh
borhood shoe he was repairing and felt
| every inch of the tree with sensitive TN
gers.
IT'S beautiful" he sai5. gratefully;
beautiful and sacred. Did it come from
Jericho2"
It guess So said John. who had not
lived in vain with the Clarksons. L heard
EN- saying at the house that they wished
il was in Jericho. So l guess 1t was
n-m-raised there"
1T will be heaps of company" he ten
derby fingered the long, shining leaves
hanging above mis- head. i can never see
il, but I can sit in its shade and feel
that green bit Of Gods country is grow
ing in my poor place Tell the misses my
thanks Alany's the pair OF shoes I've
made or mended for her in my day. /
hope she'll prosper for her kindness.
This being repeated by John. gave Mrs.
Clarkson a disagreeable feeling OF having
done a mean thing. and she remarked 1t
TO her husband.
Nonsense" retorted George, glad to be
rid of the incubus. 'Old Simeon Will
never know the difference. And if he
does, where's the harm, since he can't see
it? Hey, Nary"
But Mrs. Clarkson insisted that as soon
as she was moved and settled she should
call around and see the old man and
make It all right, but she forgot all about
it in her new home and new life, where
mended shoes and blind cObblers had no
place.
Old Simeon adjusted the palm tree in a
corner of his shop, watered It faithfully
every morning, and when IL rained
wheeled it out on the walk to give il the
benefit of bath, and it soon became the
most intimate Of all his possessions. He
loved it as something human
But creeping illness was closing about
old Simeon and he was long idle One
day the long skirted preacher who ex-
pounded his faith, entered the little shop
with the familiar benedictiOn of Peace
be on this house and all under its roof,
and received the formal Amen in an
swer
Sit by me- said old Simeon i have
something 10 say.
He reached upward and took an old
hook from a shelf. Ii was a Bible, much
read and worn. He placed &c in the
preachers hand.
Find there-every place-where It tells
of palms" he said.
The PREACHER easily found the refer
euces so familiar 10 him and his people.
He read of the city of palm trees. Jericho.
or the palm trees of DEBORAH. Branches
of soodly palm trees. Three score and
ten palm trees. and many, many more.
At each one old Simeon said with breath
less eagerness:
Stick pin there.
The mention of the beloved palm trees
occurred so often that soon the old Bible
bristled with pins. Then the reader saw
the Haunting palm al the bedside
This is he stiaed the words on his
lips with some heavcn-born intuition. ard
turned mis- remark into question" Is
this palm dead?
No. sir: no. You can feel how soft the
leaves are and I've thought Some new
ones were sprouting. Does It look as Il II
no. simeon: 1t is fine and green"
And does il seem living. sir, and likely
Yes. It's in perfectly healthy state.
Now" ne said to himself. IL I have told
lie 20 a dying man, the God OF Israel
forgive met
Among my people the preacher bent
low 10 catch every wora, there IS ira
dftion that none may win the rest aud
spiendor Of heaven unless he comes bring
ing palms he has cut in Jericho. y that
true
"It is emblematic. like all traditions
Tou have won palms 81 victory By your
faith and humility" and he recited the
prayer for the dying
Mary Clarksoa was too late 20 reveal
the 1uplic.ty o. her gift. The sham pain
But when she saw the branch ~ mock
green . s. i iay or his breast ard regarded
the pleased smile on his white face. she
said
-He saw more ia his blindness than
with sight. I had only TIE shadow -
things 81 rad The substance I am sure
uou that II ne had known he would stih
have accepted IL Ss Al emblem - the
everlasting palrns-the palms - The New
MRS. n. l. RAESE-