Till-. DEATH < >l Till-. !'< >REST 



v , 



All that is left for this region to do [5 

 to make the UK >st of the remnant ot its 

 forests, and to ur^e upon the ( . .\ em- 

 inent the absolute necessity of estab- 

 ;. ujxni less valuable lands, hard 



w 1 forest reserves, which, under 



\\ise administration. may make up in 

 some measure for the reckies- timber 

 destruction in the past at the hands of 

 private owners. 



- % 



5liVi. -X s ..- ) 



THE DEATH OF THE FOREST 



By LILLIAN H. SHUEY 



TIIH fiat went forth from the 



The myrmidon HHI> of nu-n 

 That the forest, the warder of rivers. 



Should pass from the valley and leii ; 

 The forest, emhracin^ the passes, 



Where the drifting sea-clouds hide. 

 Should lie as low as the heather- 



Should die on the mountain side. 



And the murmuring ,yro\es on the ridges 



Heard in the morning still 

 The ax-blows resounding, repeating 



The rumble and roar of the mill. 

 The vast forest mourned to the brooklet-: 



"P.eloved, the hour lias come. 

 The Day God will drink at thy spring-pools, 



And the voice of thy music be dumb. 



"Xo more wilt thon well to the vall< \ s 



Where children are glad and sweet. 

 Xo more wilt tbou mirror their Faces, 



And ripple around their feet. 

 Farewell! lovely streams, overflowing, 



The grasses tbou l\eM \\ill fail: 

 No more wilt thou gleam for the homestead. 



I he oraii.ue and peach in the vale.' 



The birds llew far and were -ibnt. 



I he WCS1 wind sobbed in pain, 

 And bore in the eve her teardrops 



To the barley blooms on the plain. 

 The forest st. .oil. lofty, majestic 



The reduood, and cedar, and pine 

 The foresi, preserver of nations. 



The i-rouu of C.od's -r.-at 



Hut the deed was don.- in its madii. 



And the \\ind-s\vept mountains bare 

 Grieve for the cool, sweel bouer- 



And the kiss ,,f raindrop- there. 

 Men in the p arching plain-lauds 



Their long rain pra\er< avow, 

 But the bread and the wine are taken, 



And <.o.l d..es not answer u..w. 



