ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 135 



HISTORICAL TREES Told in Rhyme. 



FOR A CLASS EXERCISE. 



ALL: 



[E by one we are turning 

 The leaves of Time's dusty book, 

 And wonderful legends are written 

 On each storied page we look. 







Legends of Indian warfare, 



Of crossing a trackless sea, 



Of hunger and cold endured by all, 

 For the sake of being free. 



Far back when the world was younger 

 The Romans, the stories say, 



When some wonderful thing had happened 

 With a white stone marked the day. 



But instead of a stone for remembrance, 

 We mark by a tall green tree, 



Full many a great event that's passed 

 Since the Mayflower crossed the sea. 



FIRST CHILD : 



So looking adown the centuries 



To those early frontier days, 

 And ancient Philadelphia 



With its quaint old Quaker ways. 



I see 'neath the sachem's elm-tree, 

 Penn and his fearless band. 



And the plumed and painted warriors 

 Around him on ev'ry hand. 



SECOND CHILD : 



Here he called the Indian brothers 



And treated them like men, 

 And none of the Indians ever broke 



That treaty made with Penn. 



THIRD CHILD : 



And even the British foemen 



Respected that ancient tree, 

 And placed a guard to protect it 



From their hireling soldiery. 



FOURTH CHILD : 



But ere another century 



Had been told above its head, 

 A strong wind swept above it, 

 And the ancient elm lay dead 



