CK AND ALL— THE FARMER POET 



49 



tree, he can describe any of the de- 

 tails of xylem, phloem, of cambium 

 layer, or of stomata, but he does see 

 in the pine tree, the oak tree and the 

 apple tree, something perhaps more 

 important. lie sees human life ex- 

 emplified and he sees various kinds of 

 people with their characteristics and 

 diversified occupations symbolized by 

 the trees. It is for the farmer to be 

 strong like the oak. It is for the pine 

 to seem graceful and cultured and re- 

 fined, but it is for the apple tree to 

 scatter fruit for all the people. When 

 Mr. Crandall looks at those trees he 

 writes not of their scientific structure, 

 nor of their physiological functions, 

 but of what they mean to humanity. 

 Witness his poem, "Three Trees." 



Three Trees. 



The pine-tree grew in the wood — 



Tapering straight and high ; 

 Stately and proud it stood, 



Dark-green against the sky, 

 Crowded so close it sought the blue 

 And ever upward it reached and grew. 



The oak-tree stood in the field, 



Beneath it dozed the herds ; 

 It gave to the mower a shield, 



It gave a home to the birds. 

 Sturdy and broad, it watched the farms — 

 Its knotted boughs like the mower's arms. 



The apple-tree grew by the wall — 



Ugly and crooked and black ; 

 But it heard the gardener's call 



And the children rode on its back. 

 It donned in the Spring a sweet, white cap, 

 And dropped its treasures in Autumn's lap. 



"Now, hey," said the pine, for the wood ! 



"Come, live with the forest band. 

 My comrades will do you good, 



And tall and straight you will stand." 

 So he mocked the wind with merry shout 

 And threw his cones like coin about. 



Oh, oh," laughed the sturdy oak, 



"The life of the field for me ! 

 I challenge the lightning stroke, 



My branches are broad and free. 

 Grow tall and slim in the wood if you will. 

 Give me the sun and a wind-swept hill." 



And the apple-tree murmured low : 

 "I am neither straight nor strong; 



Crooked my back doth grow 



With bearing its burdens long." 



But it dropped its fruit as it dropped a tear, 



And reddened the ground with goodly cheer. 



And the Lord of the Harvest heard, 

 And He said : "I have need for all, 



For the bough that shelters a bird, 

 For the beam that pillars a hall; 



And grow they straight, or grow they ill, 



They grow but to wait their Master's will." 



So a ship of the oak was sent 



Far over the waters blue; 

 And the pine was the mast that bent 



As over the waves it flew ; 

 And the ruddy-fruit of the apple-tree 

 Was sent to a starving isle of the sea. 



Now the farmer is strong like the oak, 

 And the townsman is proud and tall, 



And city and field are full of folk, 

 But the Lord has need of all; 



And who will be like the apple-tree 



That fed the starving isle of the sea? 



HE CAN SOW OATS AS WELL AS THE SEEDS 

 OF BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS. 



When Mr. Crandall early in the 

 morning goes forth to his field, he 

 never stops to pick a bit of moss from 

 the wayside to examine it with the 

 microscope. He looks toward the ris- 

 ing sun and hears the robin's call, and 

 to him they say, "Go to work." He 

 sees the plow motionless in the fur- 

 row, the glowing colors of the morn- 

 ing sky, he hears the music of the 

 falling meadow bars, and. they all 

 speak to him of happiness. He thinks 

 of the day's work. The swift flight 

 of the birds tells him that he too must 

 be busy until the twilight falls, when 



