Indian Summer  —_.. seehcae 
By ROBERT J. MILNE 
LEI us go into the woodlands 
Till we see them at their best, 
For in robes of gorgeous splendor 
Now we'll find them gaily dressed. 
See this grand majestic maple 
In her garb of brightest red; 
That one wears the royal purple 
On her high and stately head. 
Here the oak treé old and hoary, 
King of all his wide domain, 
And his nut-brown garb is sombre, 
As befits the monarch strain, 
There the iron-wood in crimson, 
And the elm in yellow gold, 
All around us each one vying, 
As their beauties we behold. 
Hark! a little squirrel busy, 
Hoarding up his winter store; 
Half in work and half in pleasure, 
See him gather more and more. 
Happy inmate of the forest, 
Little playmate full of glee, 
Be the winter e’er so stormy 
It has terrors none for thee. 
Here the gay and cheerful sparrow 
Chirps aloud his boisterous song, 
Summer migrants have departed, | 
Yet he stays the winter long. 
Little bird so pert and cheeky 
We forgive you for your pride, _ 
You will twitter ’round our homesteads — 
When the snow is deep and wide. 
Lovely woodlands of New England 
How our hearts are drawn to you, 
Whether in the spring-tide morning 
When your leaves are wet with dew, 
Or in glorious golden summer 
When in brightest green arrayed— - 
We are grateful in the noontide 
For thy pleasant cooling shade- 
But when Autumn paints in crimson, 
Purple, brown, and yellow-gold, — 
All our senses are enraptured _ 
As we see thy charms unfold. 
Nowhere else such wondrous beauties 
Shall we find where’er we roam, 
As in charming dear New England 
Where the Pilgrims found a home. 
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME 
Editor North Shore Breeze: 
Home organizations are being neglected, as the 
lowing deserving list shows: 
The Associated Charities of Boston, the Floating 
Hospital, the Women’s Municipal League of 
Boston, many Settlement Houses, and others too 
numerous to mention. 
The circulars and’ petitions for home demands are 
thrown into the waste basket. The funds for war relief 
increase by thousands of dollars. 
Is it right to send so much money abroad when some 
of it is needed at home just to continue the many good 
works that have been carried on here for years? 
Pitiful stories come to us each day about “our own.” 
This from Oakland, California: 
A big case was being packed to be sent 
abroad; a poor woman came into.the workrooms 
and said,—“If you have anything that is not 
good enough to send abroad, could you give the 
articles to the poor of Oakland?” 
Are not “our own” babies as deserving as the babies 
«broad? Yet the Floating Hospital asks for help. 
fol- 
The Associated Charities sends out a circular which 
states :—‘‘We have a deficit of $7200.00.” 
The Women’s Municipal League asks for help to 
raise only ten thousand dollars to carry on the work for 
1917. es 
We are all asking for comparatively small sums. 
Word has come from France that the number’ oi © 
blind is much over-estimated, happily, yet one fund for 
the blind is now over $60,000,00 and growing daily. — 
After the war is over the demands will continue, to 
aid the homeless and the cripples. Have we not “our 
own” cripples in our midst to be cared for? Since the 
Infantile Paralysis epidemic many poor children will be 
left helpless and need care, braces and support. Should 
we not give our “first aid” at home, and then give abroad? 
It has been stated that “the financial aid given by 
America has kept the war going.” Be that as it may the 
help has been munificent and praiseworthy. But Amer- 
ica has benefitted by the war and people whose means 
were limited are now classed with the very wealthy. 
Let us continue to help the war sufferers, but in mak- 
ing up our charity budget for 1917, let it start with 
donations to help the work AT HOME. 
—L. N. BRADLEY. 
