56 ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 



THE OAK TREE. 



SING for the oak tree, the monarch of the wood ! 

 Sing for the oak tree, that groweth green and good ! 

 That groweth broad and branching within the forest shade ; 

 That groweth now, and still shall grow when we are lowly laid ! 



The oak tree was an acorn once, and fell upon the earth ; 

 And sun and shower nourished it, and gave the oak tree birth ; 

 The little sprouting oak tree ! two leaves it had at first, 

 Till sun and shower nourished it, then out the branches burst. 



The winds came and the rain fell ; the gusty tempest blew; 

 All, all, were friends to the oak tree, and stronger yet it grew. 

 The boy that saw the acorn fall, he feeble grew and gray ; 

 But the oak was still a thriving tree, and strengthened every day. 



Four centuries grows the oak tree, nor does its verdure fail; 

 Its heart is like the iron-wood, its bark like plaited mail. 

 Now cut us down the oak tree, the monarch of the wood ; 

 And of its timber stout and strong we'll build a vessel good. 



The oak tree of the forest both east and west shall fly; 

 And the blessings of a thousand lands upon our ship shall lie. 

 She shall not be a man-of-war, nor a pirate shall she be; 

 But a noble Christian merchant ship, to sail upon the sea. 



MARY HOWITT. 



THE LIBERTY TREE. 



IN a chariot of light, from the regions of day, 

 The Goddess of Liberty came; 

 Ten thousand celestials directed her way, 



And hither conducted the dame. 

 A fair budding branch from the gardens above, 



Where millions with millions agree ; 

 She brought in her hand as a pledge of her love, 

 And the plant she named Liberty Tree. 



The celestial exotic struck deep in the ground, 



Like a native it flourished and bore ; 

 The fame of its fruit drew the nations around, 



To seek out this peaceable shore ; 

 Unmindful of names or distinctions they came, 



For freemen like brothers agree ; 

 With one spirit endued, they our friendship pursued, 



And their temple was Liberty Tree. 



THOMAS PAINE, 1776. 



