gions watered by them will be the victims of alternate floods and droughts. It is not only that the beauty of the landscape will suffer, but many industrial interests will be sorely injured, and the more this is impressed on the minds of the rising generation, the better it will be for them and their successors.

Yours respectfully,

From Arbor Day Manual.

Copyrighted by C. W. Bardeen.

FRANCIS PARKMAN.

MRS. M. R. MOORE TO W. C. BRYANT

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., July 17th. On a recent visit to the Mammoth Grove in this state, as I entered the forest proper of the so-called 'big trees,' my first feeling was one of awe, of worship, if you will, and involuntarily there rose in my mind these words: "The groves were God's first temples; and never did they seem so appropriate as when, standing in the midst of this patriarchal forest, the mind attempted to trace their history far back on the stream of Time. Three thousand years of life!

As we passed through the grove we saw that many trees bore names of which all Americans are proud— Webster, Clay, Everett, Starr King-Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, our lamented Lincoln, if not as brethren; Richard Cobden and John Bright-statesmen, warriors, scholars, and men, whose names are household words. But, as I remarked that as yet no poet had been so honored, a feeling of joy rose in me that per

haps the proud privilege might be mine of christening one of these magnificent growths. I made inquiries of the owner of the grove in regard to it, and was informed that all that was necessary was to send a marble tablet appropriately lettered, and it should be placed on the tree I might select. Accordingly, I selected the second tree at the right hand of the path very near the entrance of the grove, a very old tree, one of the largest, and one that has not only braved. the storms of centuries, but which has felt the scourge of the savage fire. It is a splendid specimen of a green old age, still strong, still fresh, the birds yet singing in its lofty top, a fitting emblem of the poet of the forest, Bryant.

By permission of D. Appleton & Co.

From Life of William Cullen Bryant.

WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT TO MRS. M. R. MOORE,

IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A TREE NAMED FOR

HIM IN MAMMOTH GROVE, CALIFORNIA—

THE MAMMOTH “BRYANT” TREE

My dear Madam :—

ROSLYN, August 30th, 1886.

I thank you for the great honor you have done me in giving my name to one of the venerable trees in the Mammoth Grove of California. I hope the tree which you found vigorous and flourishing will be none the worse for it.

The portion of the bark which you were so kind to send me, as well as the cone and the seeds, reached

me safely through the kindness of Mr. Brown. The seeds shall be committed to the ground, in the hope that they will sprout in due season; the cone and the bark are placed among my curiosities.

I do not much wonder that, in naming these trees, political and military celebrities should be first thought of. The events of the last four years have kept the public attention fixed upon the actors in our political stage, and the gallant deeds of our commanders in war have, for the moment at least, thrown all other kinds of fame into the shade. That I should be the first of our poets whose name is inscribed on one of these giants of the forest is an honor which, I fear, if it had been left to the arbitration of public opinion instead of the partiality of an individual, would not have been awarded to me. Perhaps, however, the length of time during which, I have been before the public as an author-more than half a century-had its weight with you in connecting my name with one of the most remarkable productions of our country.

And really it is a most magnificent region that you inhabit; such a genial and charming climate, scenery amazingly beautiful, and vegetation of wonderful richness and vigor! In certain respects your climate resembles, in others surpasses, that of the same latitude of the Old World. May you find in that region, when your social relations shall have taken a permanent form, a nobler Europe, freer, more virtuous, and more happy.

Thanking you for the kind wishes expressed at the close of your letter, etc.

(WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.)

By permission of D. Appleton & Co.

From Life of William Cullen Bryant.

XV. FROM THE JOURNAL OF REV. WILLIAM EMERSON

(Written on April 19, 1775)

This morning between one and two o'clock we were alarmed by the ringing of the church bell, and, upon examination, found that the troops to the number of 800 had stolen their march from Boston in boats and barges from the bottom of the Common over to a point in Cambridge near to Inman's Farm, and were at Lexington Meeting House half an hour before sunrise, where they had fired upon a body of our men, and, as we afterward heard, had killed several. This intelligence was brought to us at first by Dr. Sam'l Prescott, who narrowly escaped the guard that were sent before on horses purposely to prevent all posts and messengers from giving us timely information. He, by the help of a very fleet horse crossing several walls and fences, arrived at Concord at the time above mentioned, when several posts were immediately dispatched, that, returning, confirmed the presence of the regular army at Lexington, and that they were on their way to Concord. Upon this a number of our Minute Men belonging to

this town, and Acton and Lincoln with several others that were in readiness, marched out to meet them.

While the alarm company were preparing to meet them in the town, Captain Minot, who commanded them, thought it proper to take possession of the hill above the Meeting House as the most advantageous situation. No sooner had we gained it than we were met by the company that were sent out to meet the troops, who informed us they were just upon us and that we must retreat, as their number was more than thribble to ours. We then retreated from the hill near Liberty Pole and took a new post back of the town upon a rising eminence, where we formed into two battalions and waited the arrival of the enemy. Scarcely had we formed before we saw the British troops at the distance of a quarter of a mile, glittering in arms, advancing toward us with the greatest celerity. Some were for making a stand notwithstanding the superiority of their numbers, but others more prudent thought best to retreat till our strength should be equal to the enemy by recruits from neighboring towns who were continually coming in to our assistance. Accordingly we retreated over the bridge, when the troops came into the town, set fire to several carriages for the artillery, destroyed sixty barrels of flour, rifled several houses, took possession of the Town House, destroyed 500 pounds of ball, set a guard of 100 men at the North Bridge and sent up a party to the house of Colonel Barrett, where they were in expectation of finding a quantity of warlike stores; but these were happily secured just before