THE FALL OF THE CYPRESS LEAF 163 
with, and every detail of them to be inquired minutely 
into, for the purposes of telling the tale of their 
various individualities. 
This falling away of these extremity leaves and 
ultimate branchlets, sometimes after two, sometimes 
after three and four years’ growth, sheds light upon 
the story told of a curious Mohammedan superstition, 
existent among the natives of Ceylon. The idea 
prevalent there is that he who eats of a Cypress leaf, 
which he chances to see fall in natural and by time- 
expired process to the ground, has restored to him 
the priceless boon of rejuvenated youth and vigour. 
Whittier, the American poet, depicts the venerable 
jogees, or saints, as sitting patiently, expectantly, in 
silence and motionless, under the shadow of a Cypress 
tree in Ceylon, awaiting in optimistic endurance the 
falling of this much-prized leaf. These are two of 
his descriptive stanzas on the subject : 
They sat in silent watchfulness, 
The sacred Cypress tree about, 
And from beneath old, wrinkled brows 
Their failing eyes looked out. 
They waited for that falling leaf, 
Of which the wandering jogees sing ; 
Which lends once more to wintry age 
The greenness of its spring. 
As, and as we have said, there is a triennial persistency 
about these leaves, this process must, then, have 
often entailed a long sitting, and one that may have 
called for an equivalent persistency of a patient and 
pathetic nature on the part of these holy men, which 
invites sympathy even among those who regard 
their problematical reward as doubtful and distant. 
LEAVES AND THEIR POSITION 
In some cases the leaves are, from head to base, 
wound round tightly to the stem, so to speak, for the 
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