The Weeping Willow

You have Been anJ admirad the weeping wUlow tree- the SalU liabylonica- upoü whichtbecaptlve Hebrews hang their harp when tliey sat down by the rivenof BabyIon anti "wcpt when tliev remembered Zlon." It is a native of the garden of Eden, and not of America, and 1 will teil you how it emigrated to this country. More than löO years aco :i Loodon rnerchant lost lus fortune. lie went to Smyr na, a seaside city in Asia Minen-, to n it. Alexander i'on-, one of the great poets of Kngland, was the merchante! rano friend, and sympatbized wiih hun in hk llli-tnrtun Soon alter the merehant airivcd in Smyrna lie sint to Pope, a present, a box of dried Ufa. At that time the poet had huil: a beautifiil villa :it Twfckenhttm, on the Kivcr Thanics, and was adorniog it with trami nhuMa ¦¦ n--wr,K plants. On opening the box of figs Pope dlfCOVfi'c] in it asma]] twigof the tree. It aa itranger to hlm. As it came from the east, lie plantea the twig in the grounil Mr thé edge f the rlver, elote by liis villa. The ipcrt acoidentally chosen for the planting was favorable for lts growth, for the twle was from the weepiny-wülow tree - poaafbly from the bank of mm of " therivers of Babylon " - which Qourtehel bi'M along the borders of water-cour - 'l'liis littl' twig grew vigorously, and In a few jrean it became a large m-c, ipreadihg wiile it.s branches and drooping, graee tul sprays, and wiuninjl the inspiiation of the poets friends as well as stranrers. It became the anceator of all the weeplngWillowi in Hngland. 'l'herc was a rcbellion In the EngllshAiuiTican colonics in 177."). liritih troopa were sent to Boston to put ilown the insurrection. Their leaders expoeted to end it in a few weeks afler their arrival. Bome youiig offleera broufhi iihing-tackle with tlnin to t-nable thein to enjoy sport alter the brief war. Otbere oame to wttle on the ronfiscatcd lands of the "rebels." m .r i },, lütti'r WAfl :i yiHiiiir nfflfpr on statl iiidcu. Howe. Be broaght with hini, wrapped in oiled silk, a twllf from Popí1 weeplDOrwillow at Twickenham, wliicli he ntcnded to plant oii some streani watering American estáte. Washington oommanded at) army before Boston which kept the BritUh lmprisoaed in that city a loBg lililí' airain-t tlieir will. On hlsstaffwaa Bis Mapten, John Parke Cuatis, u lio frequeutly went to tlie Britiali beadquarters, ander the protectioo of ¦ Bac, wiili dispatclies f'or (ieneral Howe. He becanie aoquainted uitli tlii' voung offlcers wlio liad the wlllow twlg, and tliey beeame i rienda. [ñatead ol "cruahing the rebelllop Inalz weeks" the Brhtlih army at Boaton, at tbe end oí an iiiiprisDiinuut of nioe inuntlis, w:i elad t( fly hx sea, lor life and liberta ¦' ll.ilitax. Long before that Olght toe British subaltern, satlafled that lie shoultl never DttTe an estáte in Aineriea to adorn, ghvt liis (retully iireservcil willow twig, to youfig Cuatis, wlio planted it at A b i 1 1 trdon, estáte In Virginia, where t (frew and floniisbed, and became tbe paren! of all the waéplng-wlllowv in tlie United Btatea, BotMtine at'tcrtlie war, General Ilüratio of tlio revolntion Mttled on the " líos iüll tarín." on New ork island, and at the entranic to a lañe which led trom a country road to bis house he planted a t í;í tioni tlie vigorous willow at Abiiij;don. wliidi lie liad DrODffhi witli liini. That country rond is now Third avenue, and the lune inTwenly -(. nul stren. Qatias' in:insioii, huilt of wood, and tWO btories in belght. stocnl near the collier OÍ Tuenty geren th Street and Second avemie, where I saw it consumed í'y i'mt ín 1815. The tree Which )írev IVoiii the twiC planted at tli' entntUOS to Qti' lañe reinaiiied nntil eimiparatively a few jrears as?o. It stood on the Dortheast comer of 'l'hird areoue and Twenty-seeond gtreet. It was A direct descendant, iu the third (eneration, of Pope'a wlllow, planted it Twokenli:iin aboul 1722. A pairot is said to Uve to be two hundred years oíd. A barber does not live so long, but lie talks more.