The Man Whom the Trees Loved

Project Gutenberg's The Man Whom the Trees Loved, by Algernon BlackwoodThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online atwww.gutenberg.netTitle: The Man Whom the Trees LovedAuthor: Algernon BlackwoodRelease Date: February 29, 2004 [EBook #11377]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN WHOM THE TREES LOVED ***Produced by Suzanne Shell, Harry Jones and PG Distributed ProofreadersTHE MANWHOM THE TREES LOVEDALGERNON BLACKWOOD1912~I~He painted trees as by some special divining instinct of their essential qualities. He understood them. He knew why in anoak forest, for instance, each individual was utterly distinct from its fellows, and why no two beeches in the whole worldwere alike. People asked him down to paint a favorite lime or silver birch, for he caught the individuality of a tree assome catch the individuality of a horse. How he managed it was something of a puzzle, for he never had painting lessons,his drawing was often wildly inaccurate, and, while his perception of a Tree Personality was true and vivid, his renderingof it might almost approach the ludicrous. Yet the character and personality of that particular tree stood there alivebeneath his brush—shining, frowning, dreaming, as the case might be, friendly or hostile, good or evil. It emerged ...