Soldier, thy heroic strife

Thus has added, still is giving Something more to human life, To the dignity of living.

5.

Peace may now pervade thy breast, Pain and anxious thought are ended; Lay thy weary head to rest

In the land thy arm defended.

6.

Sleep the sleep at last that comes
Unto all with little warning.
Till thou hear the rolling drums
Beat the reveille at morning.

7.

Stars above and men below

Will the faithful watch be keeping,

While the breezes come and go

Round the tent where thou art sleeping.
S. V. Cole (The Critic).

U. S. GRANT.

All's over now; here let our Captain rest,-
The conflict ended, past men's praise and blame;
Here let him rest, along with his great fame,-
Here in the city's heart he loved the best,
And where our sons his tomb may see
To make them brave as he:-

As brave as he he on whose iron arm

Our greatest leaned, our glentlest and most wise,-
Leaned when all other help seemed mocking lies,
While this one soldier checked the tide of harm,
And they together saved the State,
And made it free and great.

ULYSSES GRANT.

R. W. Gilder.

The city sleeps, the mighty pageant's done;
The radiant stars look out upon his grave
Who marched and conquered, toiled and ruled, to save
The land from Discord's bane, and keep her one.
What nobler service could a faithful son
Perform, with all his heart, than that he gave
To bind the Union fast, and free the slave?
These deeds will brighten as the ages run.
Lincoln and Grant, unperishable names,
Henceforth with that of Washington entwined
Above the hearth of each Columbian home!
Oh, such a lustrous brotherhood proclaims
That, in the New Atlantis, live the mind
And quenchless fortitude of youthful Rome.
G. H. (The Spectator.)

The observance of Arbor and Bird Day in all the schools of Wisconsin should take place on Friday, May 5, as per the proclamation of Governor McGovern naming that day for the children to give special attention to the planting of trees and the protection of birds. Teachers are referred to the Annuals issued every year by the state superintendent for valuable material and aids. The conservation of our forests is a live question today which should receive special attention in connection with the celebration of this event.

WHAT THE SPARROW CHIRPS.

I am only a little sparrow,

A bird of low degree;

My life's of little value,

But the dear Lord careth for me.

He gave me a coat of feathers,
'Tis very plain I know,
With never a speck of crimson,
For it was not made for show.

But it keeps me warm in winter,

And it shields me from the rain; Were it 'broidered with gold or purple Perhaps it would make one vain.

By and by when it is springtime,
I will build me a little nest,
With many a chirp of pleasure,
In the spot I like the best.

And He will give me wisdom

To build it of leaves most brown;

'Warm and soft for my birdies,
So will I line it with down.

I have no barn or storehouse,
I neither sow nor reap;
God gives me a sparrow's portion,
With never a speck to keep.

I know there are many sparrows,
All over the world we're found;
But our Heavenly Father knoweth

When one of us falls to the ground.
Though small, we are never forgotten;
Though weak, we are never afraid,
For we know the dear Lord keepeth
The life of the creatures He made.

I fly through the thickest forests,

I light on the smallest spray:

I have no chart or compass,
But I never lose my way.

And I fold my wings at twilight
Wherever I happen to be,
For the Father's always watching
And no harm can come to me.

I am only a little sparrow,

A bird of low degree;

But I know the dear Lord loves me-
Have you less faith than we?

THE BLUEBIRD.

I know the song that the bluebird is singing
Out in the apple tree, where he is swinging.
Brave little fellow! the skies may be dreary,
Nothing cares he while his heart is so cheery.
Hark! how the music leaps out from his throat;
Hark! was there ever so merry a note?

Listen a while and you'll hear what he's saying,
Up in the apple tree swinging and swaying.
"Dear little blossoms down under the snow,
You must be weary of Winter, I know;
Hark! while I sing you a message of cheer,
Summer is coming and spring time is here!

"Dear little snow-drop! I pray you arise;
Bright yellow crocus! come open your eyes;
Sweet little violets, hid from the cold,
Put on your mantles of purple and gold;
Daffodils; daffodils! say, do you hear.

WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST. (An Exercise for Six Pupils)

First Pupil

"To-whit, to-whit, to-whee
Will you listen to me?
Who stole four eggs I laid,
And the nice nest I made?"

Second Pupil

"Not I," said the cow, "moo-oo! Such a thing I'd never do.

I gave you a wisp of hay
But didn't take your nest away."

Third Pupil

"Not I," said the dog; "bow-wow! I wouldn't be so mean anyhow.

I gave hairs the nest to make
But the nest I did not take."

I USED TO KILL BIRDS.

I used to kill birds in my boyhood,
Bluebirds and robins and wrens,

I hunted them up in the mountains,
I hunted them down in the glens;
I never thought it was sinful-
I did it only for fun-

And I had rare sport in the forest

With the poor little birds and my gun.

One beautiful day in the springtime
I spied a brown bird in a tree,
Merrily swinging and chirping,

As happy as bird could be;
And, raising my gun in a twinkling,
I fired, and my aim was too true;
For a moment the little thing fluttered,
Then off to the bushes it flew.

I followed it quickly and softly,

And there to my sorrow I found,

Right close to its nest full of young ones,
The little bird dead on the ground!
Poor birdies! For food they were calling;
But now they could never be fed,

For the kind mother-bird who had loved them
Was lying there bleeding and dead.

I picked up the bird in my anguish,
I stroked the wee motherly thing

That could never more feed its dear young ones,

Nor dart through the air on swift wing. And I made a firm vow in that moment,

When my heart with such sorrow was stirred That never again in my lifetime,

Would I shoot a poor innocent bird!

They give balms to vagrant breezes, For their lives we plead.

Giant oaks in sunny pastures

Cast their pleasant shade.
Maples clad in gold and crimson
Cheer the darkened glade.

Lofty firs and murmuring pine trees
Shading mountain's crest,
Are the growth of weary ages;
For them we protest.

Heralded in leafy banners,
Seasons four, we greet;
Every bough a sacred temple
For the song birds sweet.

ARBOR DAY ANTHEM.
(Tune, "America.")

Joy for the sturdy trees!
Fanned by each fragrant breeze.
Lovely they stand.

The song birds o'er them thrill,
They shade each tinkling rill,
They crown each sweling hill,
Lowly or grand.

Plant they by stream or way,
Plant where the children play
And toilers rest;

In every verdant vale,
On every sunny swale,
Whether it grow or fail

God knoweth best.

Select the strong, the fair,
Plant them with earnest care-
No toil is vain.

Plant in a fitter place,
Where, like a lovely face,
Let in some sweeter grace,
Change may prove gain.
God will His blessing send-
All things on Him depend,
His loving care.
Cling to each leaf and flower
Like ivy to its tower,
His presence and His power
Are everywhere.

-Dr. S. F. Smith.

FAMOUS TREES.

Washington elm. Under the shade of this grand old elm, General Washington first took command of the colonial army in 1775.

The "Burgoyne elm" at Albany, N. Y. This tree was planted on the day the British general, Burgoyne, was brought a prisoner to Albany, the day after he surrendered to our army in the Revolutionary War.

The weeping willow in Copp's burying ground near Bunker Hill. This willow was grown from a branch that was taken from the grave of Napoleon Bonaparte, at St. Helena.

The ash trees planted by Gen. Washington at Mt. Vernon, Va. This is a beautiful row of im

mense trees, which everybody admires who visits. the home of the Father of his Country.

The Cary tree. This tree was planted by Alice and Phoebe Cary, the poet sisters, who have written so many beautiful poems for children. a beautiful sycamore in Ohio.

It is

Old "Liberty elm." This famous tree used to stand on Boston Common, but was blown down in a storm. It was planted by a schoolmaster long before the Revolutionary War, and dedicated to the liberty of the colonies.

The William Penn tree in Philadelphia. In that city stands a monument which marks the spot where once stood a tree under which William Penn made his famous treaty with the Indians.

The Charter Oak. It was in an old hollow oak that the early colonists hid their charter to prevent its being taken from them by the British governor, Andros.

THE RAINBOW.

"A rainbow in the morning
Is the sailors' warning,
While a rainbow at night
Is the sailors' delight."

What does this mean? What is a sailor? Did you ever see a rainbow? Where? When? Where was the sun? What colors are in the rainbow? Can you make a rainbow picture with the colored crayon? Where will you put the red? The blue? The orange? The yellow? The green? The violet? Have you ever seen these colors arranged in the same order? Where? What makes the rainbow? Mix red and yellow. What color do you have? Mix blue and red. What color now? Mix blue and yellow. What color now?

"Hiawatha saw the rainbow,

In the eastern sky the rainbow,
Whispered, 'What is that, Nokomis?'
And the good Nokomis answered:

'Tis the heaven of flowers you see there.
All the wild flowers of the forest,
All the lilies of the prairie,
When on earth they fade and perish,
Blossom in the world above us'."

..Longfellow.

"The little flowers come through the ground, At Easter time, at Easter time."

"The gay, green grass comes creeping,

So soft beneath our feet,

The frogs begin to ripple

A music clear and sweet."