ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 



H7 



THE GLADNESS OF NATURE. 



IS this a time to be cloud}' and sad, 

 When, our mother Nature laughs around, 

 When even the deep blue heavens look glad, 



And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground? 



There are notes of joy from the hang-bird and wren, 

 And the gossip of swallows through all the sky ; 



The ground-squirrel gayly chirps by his den, 

 And the wilding bee hums merrily by. 



The clouds are at play in the azure space, 



And their shadows at play on the bright green vale, 

 And here they stretch to the frolic chase, 



And there they roll on the easy gale. 



There 's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower; 



There 's a titter of winds in that beechen tree ; 

 There 's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower, 



And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea. 



And look at the broad-faced sun ; how he smiles 

 On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray, 



On the leaping waters and gay young isles 

 Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away ! 



BRYANT. 



THEY'VE CUT THE WOOD AWAY. 



They've cut the wood away, 

 The cool green wood, 



Wherein I used to play 

 In happy mood. 



The woodman's ax has cleft 



Each noble tree, 

 And now, alas, is left 



No shade for me. 



The brooks that flow in May 



Are dry before 

 The first hot summer day, 



And flow no more. 



The fields are brown and bare, 



And parched with heat; 

 No more doth hover there 



The pine scents sweet. 

 Boston Journal. 



No more his note is heard 



To blithely ring 

 Where erst the woodland bird 



Would sit and sing. 



No more the wood-flowers bloom 

 Where once they bloomed 



Amid the emerald gloom 

 Of ferns entombed. 



Fled, now, the woodland sights, 



The scented air ! 

 Fled, all the sweet delights 



That once were there ! 



And fled the gracious mood 



That came to me, 

 When to that quiet wood 



I used to flee ! 



