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The pine,placed nearly almost among scenes disorderde and desolate,brings into them all possible elements of order and precision. Lowland trees may lean to this side and that,though it is but a meadow breeze that bends them,or a bank of cowslips from which they lean aslope.But let storm and avalanche do their best,and let the pine find only a ledge of vertical precipice to cling to ,it will nevertheless grow straight.Thrust a rod from its last shoot down the stem,it will point to the centre of earth as long as the tree lives.It is well also for lowland branches to reach hither and thither for what they need.But the pine is trained to need nothing and endure everything.It is resolvedly whole,self-contained,admiring nothing but rightness, content with restricted ompletion.Tall or short,it will be straight |
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