THE MERRY GREENWOOD 127 



Laughingly he greeted the three hundred— 

 for the shadow of the vine was upon him, and 

 upon all the three hundred. 



''Gentlemen/' said he, ''our first enemy was 

 the forest. When the Pale Pace came to make 

 his home, trees stood guard along the shore 

 and fortified the hills. The forest possessed 

 the land. Out of that wilderness, we have 

 builded a Nation. The trees made room for 

 the cabin. The forest gave place to the corn- 

 patch. You ask, what will become of the world 

 without any trees ? What would have become 

 of us with so many? Shall we freeze now, 

 that the future may be warm ? When the heat 

 of the sun gives out, 'what will poor Robin do 

 thenr 



"Priends, the forest is ours, so long as it 

 lasts. Let us keep on cutting down trees, and 

 never think of to-morrow. With Whittier,, 

 we will gladly say : 



*' 'I, grateful, take the good I find, 

 The best of now and here!' 



' ' Gentlemen, good-night I ' ' 



