Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-11-18
THE TREE IN THE DooRYARD.
fTama News1

"The old oak. that for better than
half a century has stood rooted in the
earth and for at least twenty years
been almost part Of the News edi-
tors household, was blown down dur
ing storm recently. 1t stood for a
generation before we moved there and
pitched our roof almost beneath its
boughs. For a score Of years 1t has
shaded the family and the babies have
grown to womanhood and manhood
beneath Its kindly shelter. When q
little tot. Helen. now high school
teacher made mud pies beneath the old
oak. and set them + bake In the oven
like recess of its hollow trunk. While
yet in rompers and barefoot, Marjorie,
now college senior, builded pyramids
and dug caves in the sand pile at the
foot of the old tree. It's low reaching.
sturdy limbs. like muscled arms Of
giant, held the swing for little Eloise
and the first trapeze for Paul, when
each were so small they had to be
boosted to reach the ropes. And JOS
ephine one summer had a house, like
that Of Peter Pan. built in the forks Of
its spreading trunk and spent many
happy hours there.
Many n brick bat oven" has been
built under its canopy and many the
wienie roast and bacon fry the Riddles
and sometimes the grown folks
have enjoyed beneath the old oak tree.
Farther up the wtens had a box and
chartered busily in the nesting season
and the fox squirrels made the old
tree common rendezvous and van
tase place from which to reach the
barn and pilfer ears of corn.
-.
up abode within It's hollow. punky
trunk from where. like robbers from
hidden cave, they made nightly raid
upon our pantry stores and once-ycs
twice-the good housewife kindled
fire within the hollow at the spreading
roots, to smoke the robbers from tn,
cave, and as often in the middle Of
the night we hustled out, night robed
and barefoot to fight the fires.
This summer the mother catbird
that nestled in the spirea and reared
her brood Of young there, oft.,ues
came to the old oak tree to sing that
we who were busy at the back por:h
might hear her morning lay. The res.
was way around the. house almost
within reach of the steps from the
front porch.
1t was a sociable old tree-even tho
homely old tree. Not different from
some people in this respect. And we all
understand its language. You see, Ave
OF US grew up in It's very shadow AMI
all nave lived with 1t for years. When
the May'ime came 1t whispered of
blossoms in the woods and we always
took the hint and went to gather them
" men the frost came it pelted US with
acorns that we might know the nutting
time was here and long before old
Bcreas started from the pole, putting
anead of him his icy breath, old oak
shook down great bundles of leaves
that things about the place might be
covered snug and warm. He even threw
Gown dead and sun dried branches with
which to kindle the bonfires for the
'oasts in the crisp and moonlit autumn
evenings and wot the old tree liked to
near the stories told beneath his shay
sy branches and sometimes shook with
laughter at the Jokes. At least he
shook and may 1t not have been with
laughter? And when the winter got
near he shrieked his warnings and
weaved about and whipped his
branches in busy effort to urge us to
get ready for the bitter cold.
Twenty years with such a comrade