I860.] THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



681 



Reader, your position and mine on this 

 earth resembles that of the leaves on this 

 tree. We are only here for a little space 

 of time. Many generations have preceded 

 us, and coming generations will soon take 

 our place. The wise and good of all ages 

 have been trying to improve this world and 

 its inhabitants, and, as the result of their 

 labors, we have now a social organization 

 called civilized society. There certainly can 

 be no question as to the necessity of further 

 improvements. These must be founded on 

 Nature. Whilst we live, then, let us employ 

 ourselves usefully, and help to diffuse science, 

 peace, prosperity, and contentment. Let us 

 try to build up a noble social tree. 



If we study the economy of labor amongst 

 these leaves, we shall find that they "help 

 each other along." The lower leaves on the 

 shoot, for instance, prepare the sap or nutri- 

 ent material for the leaves above them, the 

 little twigs assist to develop the branchlets, 

 and the branchlets aid in the growth of the 

 branches. In point of fact, the whole tree 

 may be regarded as a " Mutual Aid So- 

 ciety;" and thus should it be in this world. 



The tree is all the time changing its form, 

 and in like manner society is ever changing 

 its aspect through all its ramifications. 

 Through want of life-energy and industry, 

 some are losing gradually that social position 

 to which they were elevated by their ances- 

 tors. They are rapidly losing the sap* for 

 which all are contending. This is now be- 

 ing diverted away from the*m to other chan- 

 nels, to individual shoots and branches, 

 where there is more vital activity, for sap 

 is always attracted to these parts; these 

 stranger shoots are becoming more and more 

 conspicuous in the social tree, and will soon 

 overtop and conceal them. It is thus that 

 the rich sometimes become poor, and the 

 poor rich. 



But there are other causes which effect 

 great social changes in a community. Some- 

 times the form of a tree changes in conse- 

 quence of storms; its branches are broken 

 off by powerful winds. And what man is 

 sure for one moment against calamity ! This 

 is so well known, that the words * in pros- 

 perity prepare for adversity" have passed 

 into a proverb. How frequently have the 

 fruits of years of toil and privation been 

 lost in a single hour ! 



* Sap or dollars — that circulating medium so 

 necessary to the development of individuals and 

 societies in civilized life. 



It has, however, been shown that the 

 injury done to the tree is soon effaced, that 

 when branches are thus removed, those less 

 developed get the sap which they monopo- 

 lized. And does not precisely the same 

 law obtain in society? If any body suffers 

 in person or pocket, somebody is sure to 

 benefit. Henee the force of the old Scotch 

 proverb, "Its an ill wind that blaws naebody 

 ony luck." 



But the most remarkable and interesting 

 feature about a tree is the fact that it is a 

 body so easily impressible. All its periodi- 

 cal changes from a state of rest to that of 

 motion, those waves of growth of which we 

 have spoken, have left an indelible impres- 

 sion in the solid parts of its fabric. All the 

 bright and stormy days of its life, ever}' 

 wind that has shaken its foliage, and every 

 rain-drop that has wetted its roots, have 

 helped to mould its physical organization 

 and make it just what it is. We see, how- 

 ever, that in the figure of its leaves, the 

 form of its branches, and the colour of its 

 flowers, it is governed by peculiar laws of 

 life impressed on the seed, and that it pos- 

 sesses an internal organizing power by which 

 it can, to a certain extent, form itself, not- 

 withstanding the indelible impressions left 

 on its organization by the events of its life. 



And is it not thus with the successive 

 generations of man ? Like the flowers of 

 the field and the trees of the forest, do not 

 we all develop according to the same general 

 laws, running through the same cycle of 

 life-changes — of infamy, maturity, decay, 

 and dissolution? Yet each individual is 

 governed by a peculiar specific law. Is 

 there not an individuality about each of us? 

 Hence, like the plants around us, do we not 

 possess, to a certain extent, an organizing 

 power within ourselves? Like the trees, 

 we are inseparably connected with the ma- 

 terial world from whence our organization 

 derives impressions. We are a part of the 

 Universe. The matter of which our bodies 

 are composed, like that of trees and flowers, 

 is held together by attraction, and after a 

 while, like them, the present living gener- 

 ation will disappear from the landscape — 

 dissolved into earth and air. But not 

 an atom perishes. The same matter again 

 reappears in other forms of life and beauty. 

 It is not the first time that the matter which 

 composes the present living organized cre- 

 ation has been vitalized. How, then, can 

 this grand machine of Nature be without 



