1 6 DA VE r ' s PRIMER 



AVell, children, I now present to you another of 

 God's creatures, a veritable LIVING CREATURE ; 



people say, "Yes, we know the tree is alive," but they 

 treat it as if it were a " stick of timber." The oak in 

 this photograph is really "alive," just as much as you 

 are. It has a body, arms and legs. Boys, you smile at 

 this statement. You have legs, and you make them 

 carry your body into the house when it storms. This 

 oak has legs, and they faithfully hold the body and 

 upper portions of the tree to the ground, standing there 

 day and night, through the heat of the summer, to give 

 you cooling shade, and, more faithful than any watch- 

 dog, during the bleak, cold winters, they break the 

 fury of the storms, awaiting spring and welcoming the 

 birds with their inspiring songs. Did you ever think 

 how few birds we would have if we had no trees? The 

 large side roots of the tree are its legs, and the main 

 branches its arms. Look at it! what a picture of 

 health. You have arms with elbows, wrists, joints 

 and ringers. Did you ever hear of what the wonderful 

 arms of the tree do for you? Does any of you know? 

 You have not thought of this; let me tell you. Many 

 of these huge arms weigh hundreds of pounds, some of 

 them thousands ; they hold up a great number of 

 smaller branches, and twigs (the fingers) on which 

 are borne leaves, those wonderful organs without 

 which we could not live ! 



If you study your arm you will learn that it has in 

 it large tubes called veins, and that your very ///, the 

 blood, is constantly passing and repassing through these 



