Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-16

trembled through all its branches. "And
then? What happens them"
'Why. we have not seen anything more
But IT was incompatible" Perhaps
may be destined to tread this glorious path
one day!' cried the Fir Tree rejoicingly
That is even better than travelling across
the sea. How painfully long for it! II
it were only Christmas now! Now I am
great and grown up, like the rest who
were led away last year. Oh, II I were
only on the carriage! If l were only in the
warm room, among all the pomp and splen.
dor! And then? Yes, then something even
better win come, something far more
charming OF else why should they adorn
me so? There must be something grander,
something greater still TO come; but what
Oh! I'm suffering, I'm longing! 1 don't
know myself what is the matter with met
Rejoice in us" said Air and Sunshine.
Rejoice in thy fresh youth here in the
woodland"
But the Fir Tree did not rejoice at all,
but 1t grew and grew; winter and summer
it stood there, green, dark green. The peo-
pie who saw it said, That's handsome
tree!" and at Christmas time it was felled
before any one Of the others. The axe
cut deep into it's marrow, and the tree
fell to the ground with a sigh; il felt a
pain, a sensation Of faintness, and could
not think at all Of happiness, for 1t was
sad at parting from its home. from the
place where it had grown up; it knew that
It should never again see tho dear old
companions, the little bushes and flowers
all around-perhaps not even the birds.
The parting was not at all agreeable.
The Tree only came to itself when 1t was
unloaded in yard, with other trees, and
heard a man say:
This one is famous: we only want
this one! Now two servants came
in gay liveries and carried the
Fir Tree into large, beautiful
saloon. All around the walls hung pictures,
and by the great stove stood large Chinese
vases with lions on the covers; there were
rocking chairs silken sofas. great tables
covered with picture books, and toys worth
a hundred times a hundred dollars, at least
, the children said so, And the fir tree was
put into a great tub filled with sand; but
no one could see that IL was a tub, for Il
was hung round with green CLOTH and
stood on a large, many-colored carpet Oh,
how the tree trembledl What was TO
happen now? The servants, and the young
ladies also. decked Il out. On one branch
they hung little nets, cut out of colored
paper; every net was filled with sweet
meats; golden apples and walnuts hung
down as II they grew there, and more
than a hundred little candles, red, white
and blue. were fastened 10 the different
bOughs. Dolls that looked exactly like
real peOple-the tree had never seen such
before-swung among the foliage, and
high on the summit OF the tree was hxed
a tinsel star. II was splendid, particularly
splendid. This evening" said all, this
evening II win shine" oh" thought the
tree that II were evening already! Oh
that the lights may be soon liz up! When
may that be done2 I wonder a trees viii
come out OF the forest 10 look al me? VIII
the sparrow ny against the panes? Shall
grow fast here. and stand adorned IN
summer and winter7"
Yes, he did not guess badly. But he had
a complete hackache from mere longing,
and tho backaehe Is just as bad for a tree
as the headache for q person.
At last the candles were lighted. What
a brillianoe, what splendOri The tree trem-
bled 50 in all lbs branches that one OF me
candles set hre 20 a green tWig. and 4
was 6cOrched. Heaven preserves u.s.
cried the young ladies'; and they hastily