The state herald., 1910-09-23
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poetry. even in those who are
not strictly speaking lovers Of
nature: but the pine. for many.
seems to have message
moro vivid. more vital than the rest;
a. though It possessed some occult
quality that speaks not merely to
the Imagination. or to the general
love Of nature per SO, but directly to
the soul. the oak for strength. the
ash for mystery. the birch for her
feminine grace and so forth; but the
pine. like sharp sword. pierces
straight through to that inner sense
Of beauty which accepts or rejects
beyond all question Of analysis. The
personality of this common" tree
touches the same sense Of wonder
that Is stirred by the presence of n
human personality, strong beyond
ordinary: and worship is ever subtly
linked with wonder.
The analogy is interesting. The
pine plants its roots where more
snowy trees faint and die; straight.
strong and sweet to the winds. II
hourishes where only gorse. heather
and toughly obstinate things can live.
Out Of the rock. where there seems
not earth enough to feed a violet. II
lifts It's somber head undaunted: /:
scorched by the sun. torn by the blast.
peefing into dreadful abysses. yet
utterly fearless. and yielding 80 little
that the elements must pluck II up
By the roots before they can destroy
Il. Only lightning can break Il. At
height above the sea that means
death to other trees. II climbs sing
ing. "rock-rooted. stretched athwart
the vacancy" and even when tho
main army halts. stragglers are al
ways to be seen. leading foriorn
hopes into the heart Of desolation
beyond And II. amid the stress of
conditions. II cannot look we'll. II is
content to look III. showing a dwarfed
and stunted figure to the skies. Only
thcn. ye elemental powers! what
strength In the gnarled roots. what
iron resistance In tho twisted trunk.
what dour endurance In the short
thick limbs, II assumes the attitude
OF tho fighting animal. back to tho
wall.
High mountains sre full OF vivid
pictures OF this courage against Titan.
&c odds. For Il has the courage OF its
oonvictions-fno. simple. tenacious
a. II has also that other quality Of the
strong soul: the power to stand alone.
d. . Int x.sh
ono vast pine II frozen to ruin DER
piles OF snow and chasms Of leo mid
Alpine mountains.") No one who
has cnnoed on Canadian lakes and
nccn those frequent rocky isicts. each
with It's solitary pine. can have tx.
norcd that there In something strange
iy significant In the sight OF that
slender rpirc rising out Of the hoart
Of loneliness s-somcthing that thrills.
and thrills deeply. Into tho region
beyond words. Unshcltcrcd beneath
wide skies. remote from Its own
kind, the tree stands there. splendid
In it's isolation. straight as n temple
column and prepared for any shock.
Elm Fichtcnbaum stcht cinran.- OF
course-but thcrc In more than the
pathos Of Heine'1 poem In It's unap-
proachable ionclincss: there IL the
spiritual suggestion OF personality
this upright, seif'suflieing tree upon
a rock. bufYctcd by windn and wnvon.
asking no sympathy and drcading no
possible fate. Tho picture. symbolic
Of the strong soul. conveys tho In.
eyi,abio parable.
Compared with other trccs, too. tho
pine does not change. Ono knows. Of
course. tho tips Of tender green that
come with May and turn n pinc wood
into n sea OF bcwiidcrins beauty. hut.
though dcoiduoun, ono Ia never aware
that anything In lost; II branches
never thin. II puts out. properly
speaking. no buds And the monot.
ony Of pine fores, In merely