1 62 ARBOR DAY MANUAL. 



ELM VERSUS APPLE. 



THE elm, in all the landscape green, 

 Is fairest of God's stately trees : 

 She is a gracious-mannered queen 



Full of soft bends and courtesies. 



But though her slender shadows play 



Their game of bo-peep on the grass, 

 The hot kine pause not on their way, 



But panting to the thick oaks pass. 



And though the robins go, as guests, 



To swing among the elm's soft leaves, 



When they would build their snug round nests 

 They choose the rough old apple-trees. 



The apple has no sinuous arms, 



No smooth obeisance in her ways; 

 She lacks the elm's compliant charms, 



Yet she commands my better praise. 



jc ***** 



Wide Awake, October, 1886. MAY RILEV SMITH. 



BY SUMMER WOODS. 



THE leafy city of the birds 

 Is quiet now in every street 

 The little people all, have gone to sleep. 

 Up from the river come the herds, 

 With dripping mouths and lingering feet ; 

 And slowly earthward shades of evening creep. 



The chirr of insects fainter grows ; 



The dusky bat his dungeon leaves, 



And noiseless flits upon his nightly quest. 



The flowers their dewy eyelids close ; 



A lullaby the cricket weaves, 



And nature folds her hands in balmy rest. 



So fades in gloom the summer clay. 

 Oh ! drearer now each leaf and blade, 

 And gentle band of beauty-haloed flowers ! 

 For stains of blood they hide away, 

 In lonely glens and battle glade, 

 While peace and concord smile amid our bowers, 

 Hours at Home. 



