The Rescue of an Old Place 



Wait ! shade of trees a hundred years old, I hear 

 the echo far above me of that tender cry, 

 in a solemn whisper : " Wait ! They, too, 

 shall be as we are, giants in their day. 

 What matters it that thy little life will be 

 long over ? for thee the weeds and battle, 

 for others the shade and rest. Plant 

 thou ! that is thy mission, and the joy of 

 him who reaps the fruit of thy labors shall 

 be no greater than thine. Knowest thou 

 not, O thou of little faith, that to look 

 forward is the best of joys ? Thy reward 

 is renewed to thee daily in thy hope. 

 Learn patience, and content thy soul." 



Counsel of And so the young trees and the old 

 rees ' alike, give counsel to him who can under- 

 stand their language, whether he bends to 

 listen to the soft voice at his feet, or lifts 

 his head to catch the diapason of the over- 

 arching forest ; encouraged by the lesson, 

 we take up our burden anew in our 

 case the burden of a watering-pot and 

 do battle with the drought with a braver 

 heart and sturdier resolution. 



