1524 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



clock, and went away to strike a gong. After the gong 

 stopped sounding, there was a silence — a great still- 

 ness, in the house, for a time. Then the patter, patter, 

 patter of footsteps coming down the great stairway an- 

 nounced the arrival of the family and their guests. 

 "Merry Christmas" was heard on all sides. The master 

 of the house pulled a bell, and the procession of house 

 servants entered, headed by the housekeeper and butler, 

 and took their places on the red benches. The family 

 and friends were in groups near the fireplace and in the 

 window niches. The lesson for the day was read, and 

 the Christmas prayer said. And the Tree, in all its 

 glory stood in the very middle of everything. Surely 

 it had never been in such company before. And, after- 

 wards when, amid much merry-making, the presents 

 were given and taken, the tree had to part with some 

 of its fine trimmings, while the little glass bells tinkled 

 joyfully as each package w-as pulled off. 



But hark ! There were singers just outside the door : — 

 "Come fill the house with song and glee 

 With mistletoe and holly tree 

 For Christmastide is here." 



There they stood, the children of the estate, with 

 their fresh young faces, all dressed in their holiday 

 clothes, singing the Christmas carol. When they had 

 finished, they were called into the house, and each given 

 a Christmas box. 



The tree saw wonderful things that day : the carol 

 singers, the bell-ringers, the finely dressed guests for 

 the great dinner, the crackling Yule log, and all the 

 fine presents spread around the hall. 



The travels of the tree went on after Christmas 

 day, for, the next morning many of the decorations were 

 taken off, but not the glittering tinsel, the paper roses 

 nor the great star. The cart came to the door, and took 

 the tree down to the village school house. What a fine 

 ride through the frosty air! The school children were 

 to have a treat and the tree was again dressed. This 

 time wih many bags of candy and toys. All were tied 

 so that the children could see them and talk about them. 

 More wax candles — and some big round cakes with a 

 hole in them through which the string to hang them on 

 was tied. The children had a fine feast and a magic 

 lantern show — then they sang a carol, and marched out 

 passing the tree, each child getting a toy and a bag of 

 candy and a cake. So, at the end of this evening the 

 tree stood quite bare exce])t for the tinsel, the pajxT 

 posies, and the star. 



One more journey the tree was to make before it re- 



turned to its home in the forest, for it was going back 

 to be planted again, and go on growing. 



This last journey w^as to a hospital, in the Cathedral 

 town. Once more the cart arrived and carried off the 

 tree ; and, as it rolled down the quaint old street, some 

 children shouted "Ha ! Look at the star — there goes a 

 Christmas tree a-riding!" Again the traveling tree had 

 to be dressed, and this time in a room where all the 

 people were in little white beds trying to rejoice be- 

 cause it was Christmastide, although many were ill and 

 sorrowful. The star shone out in all its splendor, and 

 the fir-tree with its new decorations, stood up straight 

 and strong, because its roots were firmly planted, and 

 there was earth to nourish them. Nobody was afraid 

 that the tree would fall over — it w^as not possible, with 

 such a foundation, and besides it was alive ! 



Even Christmas festivals come to an end, and so, one 

 morning the tree was made ready for its last ride in the 

 cart. Then the glittering star came oiT, and the tinsel, 

 and even the paper posies. 



The children of the old estate eagerly watched the 

 country road for the return of the tree. When it enter- 

 ed the park, the children, indeed everyone in the house, 

 rushd down to meet it and go with it into the woods. 

 And one of the children said. "Let us hang one of our 

 glass bells on the tree and then it will tinkle when the 

 wind blows." And so they did. 



The gardener and the woodmen took the tree back to 

 the very place from which they dug it up. There was 

 the great yawning hole, and when the woodmen knock- 

 ed off the staves of the tub, the tree was planted 

 back into its old home, ready to go on growing when 

 its roots should strike out again into the earth. 



It was a proud tree, for it was not only a fir tree, but 

 a Christmas tree, and a traveled tree, which had seen the 

 life of creatures outside of the greenwood. When the 

 wind arose the little Christmas bell tinkled as if to wish 

 good cheer to all the birds of the woodland. 



The children of the old place delighted to walk in the 

 woods for they knew several trees which, from time to 

 time, had been their Christmas trees in the Hall. Some- 

 times they would stop and exclaim "Look at this date," 

 showing the metal tag with the date of the journey of 

 the tree out of the forest. 



And all this shows that it is better to have one live 

 tree for three festivals, than to cut down, and kill, three 

 trees for the same purpose. 



This is a true story, and happens each year in a place 

 in .Southern England. 



STATE FLOWERS OF MARYLAND AND WEST VIRGINIA 



'T'HE American Forestry Association has received 

 -*- a letter from Mrs. T. R. Payne, of Baltimore, Mary- 

 land, in which she says : "It gives the Halten Garden 

 Club, of Baltimore County, great pleasure to annoiuicc 

 that Maryland has a legalized state flower, the Black 

 Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia-hirta). ^\'e thank you for 

 your assistance in the matter and hope you will add 



our state to your official list." And another from IViayo 

 Tolmon, chief engineer, who says: In an article in the 

 Boston Transcript 1 noticed you gave the state flower 

 of West Virginia as the Indian Paint Brush. The state 

 flower of W^est Virginia is the Rhododendron. It was 

 chosen by the children of the state and legalized by joint 

 resolution of the legislature. 



