Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-02-02
THE TREE
By ARTHUR


"a parable. The young tree is art, beauty, the idea
those things which are great enough and good enough
transcend mere utility. The old man is the present social
der, which has thus far sIared the tree, though it cannot
said TO have given a maximum of aid or encouragement TO
development. The young men represent the ..proletarian
tatorshdp' movement, with its crude belly gospel and
hatred Of everything which Is superior in any other tina
physical sense. 1t would hinder the expression, In whate
form, of beauty of spirit, by seeking to make a back coun
midwife the equal of Madam Curie. and every carpenters
prentice the equal of Jesus
s young tree grew in a quiet wood,
looking upward. as Young trees should.
The God OF the Trees had set it there,
With its foot in the soil and its head in the air;
And the Tree-God gave it a voung-tree soul.
And babe it grow toward a true trees goal.
And the young tree grew toward the reckoning blue,
And topped its companions. and still it grew.
And the sunshine smiled on its Ieafy grace.
And a soft wind gave it a soft embrace,
And the rain left kisses on its face
And the young tree yearned toward the blue above.
And looked to the clouds and the stars with love,
And its green leaves bathed in the mild moons beams.
And its leaflets rustled in gentle dreams.
Until a day when a vagrant breeze
Told a tale that affrighted the trees.
or men with axes and saws and plows.
Who would cut their roots and strip off their boupha
And scatter their dead leaves over the plain.
And burn their trunks TO make room for the grain
AND torture the col, in the name OF gain!
Then the trees took counsel, each one with the next.
Saying. Surely the God of the Trees must be vexed;
Let us learn in what way our offense may be guaged,
And the wrath of the God of the Trees be assuaged.s
But the young trees soul which the God of the Trees
Had given TO it, saw clearer than these.
And the young tree said to its elders then
Not God is offended; cur fear is OF men"
I'll
The first man who came had craving hair
And q ravaged face that had once been fair.
Before it was weathered and scanned with care
And he leaned on his ak, and he said to the trees.
Such beauty as yours should not cease to be.
IL would please me more to have you remain
bnt TINS soil Is rich and VII grow much grain
And the tree replied, 1T is sad, indeed.
would live for the stars and the winds md tba dove
bnf must die for the grain which nobody win ne
Your barns and your graneries bu're with grain.
TOUR far1n1ands groan with the weight of grain.
Your markets are flooded to death with GRIM
Tour wise men make laws to care for your grain.
md no one will pay you a price for your grain
lou nave too much grain the young tree cried.
And its tall trunk shook, and its branches sighed.
Ard the heart Of the old man understood.
And ne shouldered his AK and he left the wood
y young tree grew toward the reckoning blue.
ana dWarfed Its companions, and still it grew.
And the sunshine joyed in It's leafy grace,
md a strong wind gave it d strong embrace.
and the raindrops freshened its upturned face.
And it mingled ITS boughs with the blue above
Ana talked with the clouds and the stars in love
there came IL Cay when the old man died,
young men came with their young men stride-
they came with axes and saws and plows
And they stripped the tree Of its beautiful bouebs
and they cut its rootlets. every one. -
tney Dared lis roots 10 the glare Of the sun.
WI
snd the ghost of the dead and pillaged tree
Haunts the scene of that agony.
And walls in excess o. misery.