The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-14
THE BLOSSOMS.


From the Dayton News.
Nearly everything in the universe is
beautiful. The stars at night. the clouds.
the sloping hilsdes. or the far stretches
Of low-lying plain the water courses and
the grasses and even the rank growths OF
weeds in the moist places; the sunsets
and the flashes Of lightning during the
storm-there is beauty IN everything. IL
seems. But in all the province Of God
there is nothing comparable with bios
SONS at this season Of the year.
In a sense, II is a pity that they are
so numerous. II there were only one
Towering tree IN all the world, it would
be more appreciated Then we should
behold annual migratiors 70 that part Of
the earth where the tree bIossomed. We
would find that men would make every
sacrifice TO behold it. The newspapers
and magazines would have their CORE
spondents and artists on the ground
weeks in advance OF the blooming 10
chronicle the first faint budding. The mo-
! ment bit OF color appeared. the news
would be flashed over the world. People
would make the pilgrimage TO behold the
beauty Of the Towering shrub and talk
| about it the rest Of their lives. Then, in
deed, would the beauty OF the blossoms
be appreciated.
But. since there are blooms every
where. gorgeous clusters Of them in
nearly every yard. banks Of them in
| the woods and orchards. vast expanses
/ OF country 10 be seen in flower al one
glance-since there are so many blossoms,
/ people become accustomed 10 them and
scarcely stop 90 mediate upon the glorie5
thus wrought In the springtime
Man is a strange contradiction. He
| passes over the most beautiful things
on earth and tries 10 solve the unknow-
able He breaches about life and death.
and fights his fellow-man who does not
accept his guess as 20 eternity He quar-
rels with his follows about the shape
and form Of heaven. and goes 10 war
because other people will not use the
methods he claims 20 be infallible IN
reaching future reward. He writes
books 20 prove the efficiency Of a certain
symbol known as baptism, and quarreIs
with others as 20 the mode q adopt
ing the symbol He initiates nature
upon a canvas and pays a price 20 behold
the imitation. while without his door IS
the more beautiful original He make
an image IN marble and vorships il wher
the more perfect mold. warm with life
! and colored by the delicate brushes OF
Almighty God, sits beneath his roof. Ht
. thinks he can understand the mysterIe.
Of that which IS 20 come hereafter. bU
utterly fails 10 solve the problem Of
these myriad blooms about him.
Take a single bloom and look at II
=, Study the delicate fabric OF the parts
. Behold the perfect blending Of the color
how IL vanishes into shade after shad
or hue after hue. Try 20 follow the fain
streak Of pink for instance. and ascertain
& n you can exactly where it terminates
-, How perfectly the petals are formed
How gracefully each part is shaped. Wit
, what delicacy it IS perfumed. Understan
: these things. Il you can.
Where did It come from? It grew. yo
r say What does that mean2 II cam
? bud? on. YOU understand the circulate
s Of the sap OF the plant. you say. Yer
p well But take a particle Of that ga
and see II there is pigment IN IL. Wher
then. did the coloring come from-ar
how From the sunshine? But VII
% does not the same sunshine put the sam
, color into every bloom you see Frol
4 the earth? Then. why does not the blooi
? Of n peach tree resemble the poppy
5 is natural. YOU state. that these blossom
q should be as they are; they could not 2
p otherwise and be the particular blossom
g you are behOlding. Meaningless. agah
. No: there IS no way OF UNDERESTIMATE
- these blossoms. nor how they WEI
70 made. But Il IS not necessary; Il wa
not intended that we should understau
T them, perhaps Our enjoyment Of thei
{ ought not % depend upon our undel
70 standing them. They are he-e-that
9 quite enough. They are beautiful-beaJ
= tiful beyond compare. Their fragranr
t IS inspiring. Their purity ought TO pUrif
p the world Their color is that OF 10,
+ They CULVER in the spring breezes wit
o delight They glorify the God who mad
|. them Behold the blossoms, Millions an
- millions OF them everywhere a bounJ
+ less wreath Of fragrant love placed upo
e the brow Of the earth; festoons Of glad
n ness fiuttering In the winds: a mantI
a OF softened color hung upon the branche
y Of the trees-and all 70 be enjoyed witt
out effort and without price.