and she began to weep into her apron.

"It is true! It is true!" cried another voice, that of hard-worked Bennie
Brown, who supported an old father and mother and a crippled sister by
his labors.

"Yes, it is the most beautiful tree," said a young girl, who had once
sold her golden hair to buy bread for a mother with a new-born child. "O
the wonderful fruit! the sweet warmth."

The others stared and rubbed their eyes; and looked angry. "You lie,
Bennie!" one cried; "You are a silly girl, Elsa," shrieked another.

"They speak truth. See you not the crimson light?" spoke grave Henry
Baird, who had rescued many from drowning in the mountain streams.

Those who did not see grew more and more furious. "Crazy people," they
cried. "Loons! silly babblers! will you teach us?" Then some began to
beat Peter; others to belabor young Elsa, at which Bennie ran to her
rescue, and being as brave as he was good, laid about him with his fists,
and cried "Shame on you, to hurt a woman, because your own eyes are
blind." Soon everyone was fighting, but those who saw the tree felt a
great strength in all their limbs, and warmth and joy; so that they soon
escaped from the brawling disappointed ones and ran lightly homeward with
singing hearts.

But the dispute thus started went on through many months until half the
village refused to speak to the other half. Finally a good old hermit
traveled over the ridges of the mountains and forded many streams to
reach a place which had become famous by its quarrel. He arrived in