“I was greatly struck by an illustration which was forced on my attention where staying at Alexandria, and thought it might interest some English friends. It was at the little sea place of Ramleh. I was going down to the coast to breathe the sea air, and noticed amongst the clumps of palms which beautified the spot, one standing alone, and bent so much that it seemed not likely it could stand many more of the strong blasts to which it was exposed, and I casually observed to my Arab guide “That tree will surely soon come down, it is already bent so muchapter” “Not at all, lady,” he coolly replied, “ it is quite strong, and will last very long yet.” I will tell you why: if it were like those palms yonder, planted in the garden, and watered as the gardens are, its roots would not have struck very deep, and being bent like that, (by some storm when very young) it would fall. But this is an old wild palm of the desert, and in order to get water, its roots have been obliged to strike very, very deep, till they reached the hidden water, far under the sand, and the great length of the roots, and their strength supports it. Then there is a hidden spring, said I. Oh yes, from the Lord, meaning not dug by man. Ah, there is nothing like the Lord’s own hidden springs for giving strength to the weak. The righteous (in Him, and whose righteousness is His) may indeed flourish like the palm tree, and not fall even when bent by storms and blasts.” M. L. W.
“The olive is the most prodigal of all fruit-bearing trees in flowers. It literally bends under the load of them. But then not one in a hundred comes to maturity. The tree casts them off by millions, as if they were of no more value than flakes of snow, which they closely resemble. So it will be with those who put their trust in vanity. Cast off, they melt away, and no one takes the trouble to ask after such empty useless things, —just as one olive seems to throw off in contempt the myriads of flowers that signify nothing, and turns all her fatness to those which will mature into fruit.” Dr. Thomson.