THE ELM AND THE TULIP 



esteem them as highly. The old elm monarch 

 which stands at the gingerbread brownstone 

 entrance of the Capitol Park in Pennsylvania's 

 seat of government has had a hard battle, 

 defenseless as it is, against the indifiference of 

 those whom it has shaded for generations, and 

 who carelessly permitted the telegraph and 

 telephone linemen to use it or chop it at their 

 will. But latterly there has been an awakening 

 which means protection, I think, for this fine 

 old landmark. 



The two superb elms, known as "Paul and 

 Virginia," that make notable the north shore 

 of the Susquehanna at Wilkesbarre, are subjects 

 of local pride ; which seems, however, not 

 strong enough to prevent the erection of a 

 couple of nasty little shanties against their great 

 trunks. There can be no doubt, however, 

 that the sentiment of reverence for great trees, 

 and of justice to them for their beneficent 

 influence, is spreading westward and south- 

 ward from New England. It gives me keen 

 pleasure to learn of instances where paths, 

 pavements or roadways have been changed, to 

 avoid doing violence to good trees ; and a 



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