OCR Text |
Show 226. bending like grasses before a mountain gale," after one has seen the power and d e s t r u c t i o n of the north wind, one must remember, said Muir, that "the manifest r e s u l t of a l l t h i s wild storm-culture is the glorious perfection we behold; then faith in Nature's forestry i s e s t a b l i s h e d , and we cease to deplore the violence of her most d e s t r u c t i v e gales, or of any other storm-implement whatsoever." Sierran f o r e s t s , "the most beautiful on the face of the e a r t h , " were grown and governed by weather. The wind, in Muir's view, culled out the forest, even as a farmer' s hand might. Muir received another more subtle message from the storm. He found that "We a l l travel the milky way together, trees and men;" trees too make journeys through the world. And "the countless hosts of the f o r e s t s " heard God's message after the storm. As Muir's essay ended, "The s e t t i n g sun f i l l e d them with amber l i g h t , and seemed to say.- while they listened, 'My peace I give unto y o u . ' " The s e t t i n g sun bore C h r i s t 's message, in the Gospel according to John: "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither l e t it be afraid." If man wanted to hear t h i s blessing, given to the trees by wind and sun, then he would have to go to the t r e e s. Christ said: I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandsman. Every branch in me t h a t beareth f r u i t , he purgeth i t, that i t may bring forth more f r u i t . . . I am the vine, and ye are the branches. (John 15,1-5) |