THE EMBELLISHMENT OF SCHOOL GEOUN'DS. 93 



sighing of autumn, the blast of winter, and his education is 

 properly begun, and not till then. Nature is the child's counter- 

 part. 



" All Nature's objects have 



An echo in the heart. This flesh doth thrill. 



And hath connection, by some unseen chain. 



With its original source and kindred substance. 



The mighty forest, the proud tides of ocean. 



Sky clearing hills, and in the waste of air, 



The starry constellations and the sun. 



Parent of life exhaustless, these maintain 



With the mysterious and breathless mould 



A co-existence and community." 



What better improvement of approaching Arbor Day can be 

 made than by planting some beautiful native trees in the school 

 grounds, or along the road-side? What more important and 

 interesting lesson can be given, than upon the genesis, growth, 

 and economical, sanitary, and aesthetic value of trees? 



How the wisdom and goodness of Gk>d are shown in the life and 

 growth of the tree I How much in common with our lives have 

 the lives of trees I The spirit of the woods is most inspiring to 

 the soul. Their silence and tranquility wake meditation and 

 devotion. ''The groves were God's first temples." Solomon 

 loved trees and planted an arboretum. He knew them all, from the 

 stately cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop on the wall. Moses, the 

 greatest man of ancient Bible history, commanded : " When thou 

 goest out to besiege, or make war on another nation, thou shalt 

 not destroy the trees, for the tree of the field is the life of man." 



Classic song catches its inspiration from trees. The rustic 

 poet sings under " the wide spreading beach tree." Homer gives 

 soul to trees and peoples the groves with dryads. Wanton 

 destruction of a tree was an impious act. and often, as in the 

 case of Erisichthon, severely punished, while those who like 

 RhcBCus spared and protected them were richly rewarded by the 

 woodland fays. Xerxes, invading Greece, halted to adorn a 

 plane tree with jewels and ornaments of gold, and appointed a 

 sentinel to watch over it. 



How full of expression are many trees. Who cannot see 

 strength and firmness and endurance in the oak that has withstood 

 the storms of a century ; or dignity and queenly grace in the 

 stateh' elm? What grand associations cluster about Boston's 



