Life, 1890-12-25 · page 3 of 51
Life — December 25, 1890 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# The Enchanted Oak This page presents two distinct pieces: **Upper Left:** A Christmas legend poem ("The Enchanted Oak") illustrated with a sketch of a friar and ghostly apparition within a hollow tree. The narrative describes a holy friar's encounter with an enchanted oak tree where a spirit's voice emerges, leading to a supernatural resolution involving divine intervention. This is a straightforward literary feature, not satire. **Lower Right:** A cartoon titled "A Bit of Natural Philosophy" showing two working-class men examining a building. One remarks the town has good roads but they're "a long way from the hub," to which the other replies that's why "things move faster over here." This appears to be gentle satire on rural versus urban perceptions of progress and economic activity, suggesting provincial skepticism about development.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A CHRISTMAS LEGEND, ENEATHE an ancient oake one daye A holye friar kneeled to praye, Scarce hadde he mumbled Aves three When lo! a voice within the tree! Straighte to the friar’s hearte it wente, A voice as of some spirit pente Within the hollow of the tree That cried ** Good father sette me free Quothe he “this hath an evil sounde,” Ande bent him lower to the grounde. But ever tho’ he prayed, the more The voice hys pytie didde implore, Untyl he raised hys eyes ande there Behelde a mayden ghostlic faire. Thus to the holy manne she spoke : Within the hollowe of this oak Enchanted for a hundred yeares, * Have 1 been bounde—yette vain my teares! “Notte anything can breake the banne “Till I be kisz'd by holye manne.” **Woe's me! thenne sayd the friar, ‘if thou “Be sente to tempt me breake my vowe, ** Butte whether mayde or fiende thou be, “Tl stake my soul to sette thee fre: The holye manne then crossed hym thrice, And kissed the mayde—when in a trice She vanished— ** Heaven forgive me now!" Exclaimed the friar—"* my broken vowe.” “If L have sinned—I sinned to save Another fromme a living grave ;” Thenne downe upon the earth he felle. And prayed some sign that he might telle If he were doomed evermore ; When lo! the oake alle bare before Put forth a branch of palest greene, And fruited everywhere betweene, With waxen berries, pearlie white, A miracle before hys sight. . . * The holye friar wente hys waye And told hys tale— And from thatte:daye A BIT OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. It hath been writ that anye manne May blamelesse kiss what mayde he cane ; Visiting Bostonian: Ves, YOU MAVE & GOOD TOWN HERE, BUT Nor anyone shall say hym “no” YOU'RE A LONG WAY FROM THE HUB, Beneath the holye mistletoe. 0. Herford. Aew Yorker: THat’s WHY THINGS MOVE FASTER OVER HEKE, comicbooks.com