Year: 1862

The psalmist, in describing the happy
and PROSPEROUS coalition Of the right
eous, says they 'sshall flourish like the
palm tree" Planted in the courts of
the Lords house, they are to be ''fat
and fourishing," '.and still bring
forth fruit in old age" This compa1i-
son of good man to the palm tree, is
appropriate and beautiful, and would be
sure of appreciation by the inhabitants
of Palestine A heather historian
speaks of Judea as land renowned


for palms, and some of the principal
towns of the country took their names
from the presence of these trees. The
date palm has several characteristics
that constitute it fitting emblem of
the character and influence of ri ight-
eous man. 1t attains to a great height,
grows perfectly erect, and its leafy
crown is always green and fourishing


1t is not onl y natural for the palm to
be upright, to lift its head straight to-
ward heaven, but it is almost impossi-
BILE to force 1t to grow in any other di-
rectioR. 1t may be burdened with
heavy weights, storms may beat upon it.,
and tempests wrestle with it., but it will
not be bent or warped into any crook
edness. 1t bears ill-usage well. Some
assert that it is most fruitful when m ost
abused, and that the blows that bruise
and wound it only increase the guam
tity and improve the quality of its
golden fruitage. This beautiful tree is
of long life, and continues to grow
steadily from generation to generation


Long continued rains and floods of wa
ter do not drown it; nor does it droop
in drouth, or Wither under the rays Of
the tropical sun. To every man who
has the taste to appreciate its beauty,
the palm tree must be an object oe in
terest and affection But its beauty is
not its sole or chief recommendation
1t is prolific fruit bearer, single tree
often yielding three or four hundred
pounds of dates in single year. This
fruit is not mere luxury, for thou
sands of the inhabitants of Egypt, Ara
bia and Persia have little other food,
and subslst almost entirely upon it,
And every part of the tree is turned to
some useful purpose. The leaves,
which are six or eight feet in length,
are used as covering for the sides and
roofs OF houses, and in making baskets,
mats, and other household articles
The tibrous parts of the tree are made
into thread and cordage, and the more
solid parts are used for fuel. The sap,
when thickened by partial evaporation,
is almost as sweet and palatable as
honey. The, stony pits or seeds of the
dates are broken or ground, and fed to
the Arabs camel. So enthusiastic are
the Orientals in their appreciation of
this tree that they profess to enumer-
ate no less than three hundred and
sixty distinct uses to which it may be


usefully applied. 1t is no wonder that
the palm tree was at one time the. en-
blem of Judea, or that David, in select


ing an object by which to symbolic
the utility of good man S life, should
say, he "shall flourish like the palm
tree" The beauty in which the right
eous grow and flourish is the beauty of
goodness, their lives are invested with
the beauty of holiness. We have no
disposition to disparage the material
beauty with which the world is adorned.
"God hath made everything beautiful
in his time;;" and standing in the midst
of all his glory, we feel like exclaiming
with the psalmist, 'sAll thy works shall
praise thee o Lord" But 'ethat is the
best part of beauty which a painter cans
not express and it seems like the des-
ecration of a holy word to say of the de-
praved and corrupt that they were
beautiful Ahab's wife, Jezebel, and
Cleopatra were what the world calls
splendid women, and the daughter of
= L ! /. L L