Chapter III: Introduction (2)

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The leaves of the herbage at our feet take all kinds of
strange shapes as if to invite us to examine them.
Star-shaped, heart-shaped, spear-shaped, arrow-shaped,
fretted, fringed, cleft, furrowed, serrated, sinuated, in
whorls, in tufts, in spires, in wreaths, endlessly
expressive, deceptive, fantastic, never the same from
footstalk to blossom, they seem perpetually to tempt our
watchfulness and take delight in outstripping our wonder.

--RUSKIN.

INFLUENCE OF NATURE.

_Fourth pupil._

Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods
And mountains, and of all that we behold
From this green earth; of all the mighty world
Of eye and ear, both what they half create
And what perceive; well pleased to recognize
In nature, and the language of the sense,
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul,
Of all my moral being.

--WORDSWORTH.

_Fifth pupil._

I regard the forest as an heritage, given to us by nature,
not for spoil or to devastate, but to be wisely used,
reverently honored, and carefully maintained. I regard the
forest as a gift entrusted to us only for transient care
during a short space of time, to be surrendered to posterity
again as unimpaired property, with increased riches and
augmented blessings, to pass as a sacred patrimony from
generation to generation.

--BARON FERDINAND VON MUELLER.

NATURE'S COMFORT.

_Sixth pupil._

If thou art worn and hard beset
With sorrows that thou wouldst forget,
If thou wouldst read a lesson that will keep
Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep,
Go to the woods and hills! No tears
Dim the sweet look that Nature wears.

--LONGFELLOW.

_Seventh pupil._

It may be said that the measure of attention given to trees
indicates the condition of agriculture and civilization of a
country.

--MAHÉ.

_Eighth pupil._

I said I will not walk with men to-day,
But I will go among the blessed trees,--
Among the forest trees I'll take my way,
And they shall say to me what words they please.

And when I came among the trees of God,
With all their million voices sweet and blest,
They gave me welcome. So I slowly trod
Their arched and lofty aisles, with heart at rest.

_Ninth pupil._

Forests can flourish independent of agriculture; but
agriculture cannot prosper without forests.

_Tenth pupil._

The man who builds does a work which begins to decay as soon
as he has done, but the work of the man who plants trees
grows better and better, year after year, for generations.

_Eleventh pupil._

Of all man's works of art a cathedral is greatest. A vast
and majestic tree is greater than that.

--H.W. BEECHER.

_Twelfth pupil._

In an agricultural country the preservation or destruction
of forests must determine the decision of Hamlet's
alternative: "to be or not to be." An animal flayed or a
tree stripped of its bark does not perish more surely than a
land deprived of the trees.

--FELIX L. OSWALD.

_Thirteenth pupil._

By their fruit ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth
forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,
neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Therefore
by their fruits ye shall know them.

=8. DECLAMATION.=

A FOREST SONG.

A song for the beautiful trees!
A song for the forest grand,
The garden of God's Own land,
The pride of His centuries.
Hurrah! for the kingly oak,
For the maple, the sylvan queen,
For the lords of the emerald cloak,
For the ladies in living green.

So long as the rivers flow,
So long as the mountains rise,
May the forest sing to the skies,
And shelter the earth below.
Hurrah! for the beautiful trees,
Hurrah! for the forest grand,
The pride of His centuries,
The garden of God's own land.

--W.H. VENABLE.

=9. ADDRESS.= (BY TEACHER OR SOME ONE INVITED FOR THE OCCASION.)

=10. DECLAMATION.=

A JUNE DAY.

Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with a rippling cheer,
Into every bare inlet and creek and bay;
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now because God wills it;
No matter how barren the past may have been,
'Tis enough for us now that the leaves are green;
We sit in the warm shade and feel right well
How the sap creeps up and the blossoms swell;
We may shut our eyes but we cannot help knowing
That skies are clear and grass is growing;
The breeze comes whispering in our ear,
That dandelions are blossoming near,
That maize has sprouted, that streams are flowing,
That the river is bluer than the sky,
That the robin is plastering his house hard by;
And if the breeze kept the good news back,
For other couriers we should not lack;
We would guess it all by yon heifer's lowing,--
And hark! how clear bold chanticleer,
Warmed with the new wine of the year,
Tells all in his lusty crowing!

Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how:
Everything is happy now,
Everything is upward striving;
'Tis as easy now for the heart to be true
As for grass to be green or skies to be blue,--
'Tis the natural way of living.

--LOWELL: _Sir Launfal._

=11. VOTING FOR THE TREE OR FLOWER WHICH SHALL BE THE EMBLEM OF THE SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR.=

Suggestions.--If this programme should prove too long, parts of it may readily be omitted. If the day be a fine one, it might be well to transfer the address and, perhaps, the readings to the third part of the programme at the tree.

In order to facilitate the voting of the tree or flower and have it occupy but little time, it would be well to have a blackboard facing the pupils during the exercises with a few drawings of trees and flowers, each with a characteristic attribute printed beneath it. The voting may then be expeditiously performed by pointing to the drawings.

In some States there is a provision for the children to vote on Arbor Day for a favorite flower, which shall be considered the State flower. In others a State tree may be selected by vote of the children. In such cases this is the time for the selection.

=12. RECITATION.=

THE AMERICAN FLAG.

When Freedom from her mountain height
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night
And set the stars of glory there;
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
And striped its pure celestial white
With streakings of the morning light;
Then from his mansion in the sun
She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand
The symbol of her chosen land.

--J.R. DRAKE.

[To be recited and followed immediately by the song "Star
Spangled Banner."]

=13. SONG.=

STAR SPANGLED BANNER.

FRANCIS KEY.

1. Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thro' the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming,
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there;
Oh, say does the star-spangled banner still wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?

2. On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that, which the breeze o'er the lowering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses!
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner, Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

3. Oh, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation.
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the pow'r that has made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our trust,"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

II.--The March.

_Suggestions._--See that the children keep step to the air
of the song. Arrange them according to size, the smallest
first, that the column may present a picturesque appearance.

MARCHING SONG.

1. There's Springtime in the air
When the happy robin sings,
And earth grows bright and fair,
Covered with the robe she brings.

_Cho._ March, oh, march, 'tis Arbor Day,
Joy for all and cares away;
March, oh, march, from duties free
To the planting of the tree.

2. There's Springtime in the air
When the buds begin to swell,
And woodlands, brown and bare,
All the summer joys foretell.--_Cho._

3. There's Springtime in the air
When the heart so fondly pays
This tribute, sweet and rare,
Which to mother earth we raise.--_Cho._

III.--Exercises at the Tree-Planting.

=1. PLANTING OF TREES.= (ONE OR MORE).

=2. SONG.=

PLANTING THE TREE.

Gather we here to plant the fair tree;
Gladsome the hour, joyous and free,
Greeting to thee, fairest of May!
Breathe sweet the buds on our loved Arbor Day.
Gather we now, the sapling around,
Singing our song--let it resound:

_Refrain._
Happy the day! Happy the hour!
Joyous we, all of us, feel their glad power.

Shovel and spade, trowel and hoe,
Carefully dig up the quick-yielding ground;
Make we a bed, softly lay low
Each little root with the earth spread around;
Snug as a nest, the soil round them pressed,
This is the home that the rootlings love best.

_Refrain._

Moisten and soften the ground, ye Spring Rains;
Swell ye the buds, and fill ye the veins,
Bless the dear tree, bountiful Sun;
Warm thou the blood in the stem till it run;
Hasten the growth, let leaves have birth,
Make it most beautiful thing of the earth.

_Refrain._

--[DR. E.P. WATERBURY]

=3. RECITATIONS.=

NOTE.--One or more of the recitations may be given with the
planting of each tree, the number depending upon the number
of trees planted.

_First pupil._

Plant in the spring-time the beautiful trees,
So that in future each soft summer breeze,
Whispering through tree-tops may call to our mind,
Days of our childhood then left far behind.

Days when we learned to be faithful and true;
Days when we yearned our life's future to view;
Days when the good seemed so easy to do;
Days when life's cares were so light and so few.

_Second pupil._

Plant trees for beauty, for pleasure and for health;
Plant trees for shelter, for fruitage and for wealth.

_Third pupil._

NOBILITY.

True worth is in _being_, not _seeming_,
In doing each day that goes by
Some little good--not in the dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.

--ALICE CARY.

_Fourth pupil._

PLANTING OF TREES.

Oh, happy trees which we plant to-day,
What great good fortunes wait you!
For you will grow in sun and snow
Till fruit and flowers freight you.

Your winter covering of snow,
Will dazzle with its splendor;
Your summer's garb, with richest glow,
Will feast of beauty render.

In your cool shade will tired feet
Pause, weary, when 'tis summer,
And rest like this will be most sweet
To every tired new-comer.

_Fifth pupil._

THE COMING OF SPRING.

When wake the violets, winter dies;
When sprout the elm buds, Spring is near;
When lilacs blossom, Summer cries,
Bud, little rose! Spring is here.

--LOWELL.

_Sixth Pupil._

When we plant a tree, we are doing what we can to make our
planet a more wholesome and happier dwelling-place for those
who come after us, if not for ourselves.

--O.W. HOLMES.

_Seventh pupil._

"It is no exaggerated praise to call a tree the grandest and
most beautiful of all the productions of the earth."

--GILPIN, _Forest Scenery_.

_Eighth pupil._

"Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the blossoms,
Kind deeds are the fruits."

_Ninth pupil._

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the ship which will cross the sea.
We plant the mast to carry the sails;
We plant the planks to withstand the gales--
The keel, the keelson, and beam and knee;
We plant the ship when we plant the tree.

_Tenth pupil._

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the houses for you and me.
We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors,
We plant the studding, the lath, the doors,
The beams and siding, all parts that be;
We plant the house when we plant the tree.

_Eleventh pupil._

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
A thousand things that we daily see;
We plant the spire that out-towers the crag,
We plant the staff for our country's flag,
We plant the shade, from the hot sun free;
We plant all these when we plant the tree.

--HENRY ABBEY.

=4. TREE PLANTING SONG.=

PLANTING OF THE TREE.

1. Long this little stem has grown
In a quiet spot, unknown:
Now we plant it here, to be
Ever honored as our tree.

2. May the kind earth give it food,
And warm sunlight o'er it brood,
Shower make bright, and storm make hard,
And no harm its growth retard.

3. May it give to men delight,
Rich in shade, and fair to sight;
And while untold years roll by,
Speak of us to memory.

4. Little tree, our own! we pray,
Be our teacher every day;
On us strength and grace impress,
That we, too, the world may bless.

J.D. BURRELL.

=5. PATRIOTIC RECITATION.=

UNION AND LIBERTY.

_First voice._

Flag of the heroes who left us their glory,
Borne through our battle-fields' thunder and flame,
Blazoned in song and illumined in story,
Wave o'er us all who inherit their fame!

_Second voice._

Light of our firmament, guide of our nation,
Pride of her children, and honored afar,
Let the wide beams of thy full constellation
Scatter each cloud that would darken a star!

_Third voice._

Empire unsceptred! what foe shall assail thee,
Bearing the standard of Liberty's van?
Think not the God of thy fathers shall fail thee,
Striving with men for the birthright of man!

_Fourth voice._

Yet, if by madness and treachery blighted,
Dawns the dark hour when the sword thou must draw,
Then, with the arms of thy millions united,
Smite the bold traitors to Freedom and Law!

_All._

Up with our banner bright,
Sprinkled with starry light,
Spread its fair emblems from mountain to shore;
While through the sounding sky,
Loud rings the Nation's cry,--
Union and Liberty!--one evermore!

--OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.

=6. ADDRESS OR READING OF SOME SELECTION FROM ANOTHER PART OF THIS PAMPHLET.=

=7. MARCHING FROM THE FIELD.= (TO FOLLOWING TUNE.)

WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE.

GEORGE P. MORRIS.

HENRY RUSSELL.

1. Woodman, spare that tree!
Touch not a single bough;
In youth it shelter'd me,
And I'll protect it now;
'Twas my forefather's hand,
That placed it near his cot,
There, woodman, let it stand,
Thy axe shall harm it not!

2. That old, familiar tree,
Its glory and renown
Are spread o'er land and sea,
And would'st thou hew it down?
Woodman, forbear thy stroke!
Cut not its earth-bound ties;
Oh! spare that aged oak,
Now tow'ring to the skies.

3. When but an idle boy,
I sought its friendly shade;
In all their gushing joy,
Here, too, my sisters played;
My mother kiss'd me here;
My father press'd my hand,
Forgive this foolish tear,
But let that old oak stand!

4. My heart-strings 'round thee cling,
Close as thy bark, old friend!
Here shall the wild-bird sing,
And still thy branches bend.
Old tree, the storm thou'lt brave,
And, woodman, leave the spot;
While I've a hand to save,
Thy axe shall harm it not!

=8. BREAKING RANKS AND DISMISSAL.=

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Arbor Day LeavesChapter III: Introduction (2)

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