(_FROM THE GERMAN._)
When Adam was nine hundred and thirty years old, he felt in himself
the word of the judge, "Thou shalt die." Then spoke Adam to the
weeping Eve: "Let my sons come before me, that I may see and may bless
them." They all came at their father's word, and stood before him,
many hundred in number, and prayed for his life. "Who among you," said
the old man, "will go to the holy mountain? Very likely he may
find pity for me, and bring to me the fruit of the tree of life."
Immediately, all his sons offered themselves; and Seth, the most
pious, was chosen by his father for the message. He besprinkled his
head with ashes, hastened, and delayed not, until he stood before
the gate of Paradise. Then prayed he, "Let my father find pity,
kind-hearted one, and send to him fruit from the tree of life."
Quickly there stood the glittering cherub, and instead of the tree of
life, he held a twig of three leaves in his hand. "Carry this to thy
father," said he, friendly, "his last consolation is here; for eternal
life dwells not on the earth." Swiftly hastened Seth, threw himself
down, and said, "No fruit of the tree of life bring I to thee,
my father, only this twig has the angel given me, to be thy last
consolation here." The dying man took the twig, and was glad. He
smelled on it the fragrance of Paradise, and then was his soul
elevated: "Children," said he, "eternal life dwells not for us on the
earth; you must follow after me; but on these leaves I breathe the
refreshing air of another world." Then his eyes failed; his spirit
fled hence.
Adam's children buried their father, and wept for him thirty days; but
Seth wept not. He planted the twig upon his father's grave, at the
head of the dead man, and named it the twig of the new life, of the
awakening up out of the sleep of death. The little twig grew up into a
high tree, and by it many of Adam's children strengthened themselves
with comfort of the other life. So it came to the following
generation. In the garden of David it blossomed fair, until his
infatuated son began to doubt on immortality; then withered the twig,
though its blossoms came among other nations. And as on a stem from
this tree, the restorer of immortality gave up his holy life; from it
the fragrance of the new life scattered itself around far among all
nations. W.G.C.
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