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History «f th* Aspe* Tree.A BOTANIC LEGEND.(From the German of lt;7. Weis/fog,) mWould you know why the Asp trembles * when in the sultry summer-time not a breath stirs, and the other trees. of the W wood with thick-leaved branches rest and pispread cooling shades ? Hear the story. piAt that eventful moment when our dear in Lord hung upon the cross, and thereim veil- hi ed himself in mourning, there shot a t*e- ti mor through all living nature. Man, ter- 01 rifled and still, awaited with beating heart athe issue of the unwonted, the unheard, of Jlt; hour. The beasts of the forest fled and ar hid themselves in their dens; no insect uj chirped, no bird twittered; all was dumb ri and mourning. Only the flowers and the jo trees murmured in the their speech^ and fr b told, one to another, the story of 'that sa- incrod time. The tall cedars of,Lebanon—Pinuo cedrus~*-waYQd in ghostly chorus high ec in the air, and the forests were rapt in cl a green, deepening into night. bj“ Ah t now' he is no more !M softly whig- viJered the weeping willow of Babylon (So- to ix JBabylonica), bowing her sorrowing ax branches down deep into the Euphrates.— b)The vine-dreaser went through big vineyard ecand saw how the fruit wept. And when of tho fruit was ripe, and the new wine was su pressed, they called it the tears of Christ in (Lacrimtt Chriati). But around Golgotha arose a sweet fragrance, sent by the night- W violet (Hesperia tristia), to comfort the suf- th fering Soil of God, and the Iris susiana said T to her sister Cypress, “ In mourning will Iarray myself evermore.” And I ” answer- is cd the Cypress, “ will dwell among the cl graves in memorial of this hour.” Then hi there came a light wind through the gtif- in ling twilight. It was Ashtaroth, the angel of Death, drawing nigh to the cross. And vc as that moan had ascended, “ My God, my God, why bast thoufbraaken mo!” every branch, every leaf, every flower trembled.Only the Aspen, a proud, high, cold tree, Be stood unmoved on Golgotha. h«“Why should wo be disturbed ” said she,“ trees, flowers, and plants I we have never ei sinned 1” vcBut Ashtaroth, th© angel of Death, took mth© black cup with tho Itcdecmer’s blood, W and poured it upon the roots of the proud Aspen. The unhappy tree was paralysed. ro Its leaves fell. Key or more came rest to Us boughs j and when all is still, peaceful, Cl and happy, it trembles and is called the hi trembling popular to this day. toftte
Newspaper Details
Independent American
Platteville, Wisconsin, US
Fri, Dec 30, 1853
Page 2
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 09 Jan 2021
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