Conservative *
GRANDMOTHER'S LAST SPINNING.
Her well spent seventy years were o'er
When she cried , "Lot mo have my wheel once
more ;
My spinning wheel from the garret bring ,
I fain would hear its dear voice sing. "
Well pleased she smiled when the wheel was
found ;
And again at her touch began its round ;
With sweet content and with movement slow
She walked beside it , to and fro.
Her f. co was bright as if joy of youth
Had returned to adorn its strength and truth ;
With silver gleam curved the hair , HIIOW white ,
Above her brown eyed eager light.
Wo knuw that , borne by the years , ere long
She would listen , enrapt , to the angels' song ;
Oar hearts' deep love had a startled thrill
Of wonder that wo kept her still.
She paused , as if knowing our thoughts , to say ,
"No , my children , I can not always stay.
So oft through life I have been bereft ,
So many gonol so few are loft ! "
"His will bo done who died to save ,
But I hope ne'er to see another grave ;
1 would go soon and in rest abide
To welcome you at eventide. "
And well her radiant face portrayed
That her thoughts to the "many mansions"
strayed ;
Witli peace that only God's children feel
She turned again to her spinning wheel.
In its low hum to her heedful cars
Was a tender refrain of bygone years ;
Of haunts she knew and loved it told ,
Familiar tones it seemed to hold
Of mirth and laughter , of children's glee ,
Of voices that called her again to see
The faces shining with love-light fair ,
The sunny gleams oC waving hair.
So plain , so real , to her they seemed
All the present was lost , she fondly dreamed
Of her young life on the dear old farm
Mid hallowed ties of home's sweet charm.
The wheel sang on till its plaintive sound
Told of many a low and grassy mound ;
Her heart away from its hum and whirl
Was led beyond the "gates of pearl. "
The setting sun sent its parting rays ;
As they lighted the room with golden ha/o ,
They softly fell on the tear-dimmed eyes ,
And grandmother paused in mild surprise.
The wheel's song ceased as she dropped her
hand ,
And hhe spoke as if all her household band
From earth and heaven wore at her side ,
"Yes , wo shall meet at eventide. "
MAHY FUKNCH MOUTON.
AllllOIt MAY KCIIOKS.
THE CONSERVATIVE reproduces the fol-
lowiug in the interests of arboriculture
and forestry :
In accordance with the proclamation
of the governor , Arbor Day was gener
ally celebrated by the public schools of
the city yesterday. The pupils gathered
in their respective assembly halls and
had interesting aud appropriate exer
cises , after which trees were planted in
the school yards.
Founder of Arbor Day.
Pupils of the Eastern Female high
school assembled in the hall yesterday
to enjoy the programme arranged for
Arbor Day. Miss Sue M. Lohrfluck ,
teacher of elocution , had charge of the
celebration. A feature of the pro
gramme was the reading of a letter
written to Miss Lohrfluck by J. Sterling
Morton , who was secretary of agricul
ture under President Cleveland. The
letter which was read by Miss Bessie
Klinesmith , is as follows :
"I hasten to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of the 18th hist. , relative
to the celebration of Arbor Day at your
school.
' This anniversary was established by a
resolution which I originated and intro
duced at the annual meeting of the Ne
braska State Board of Agriculture , held
at Lincoln , January 4 , 1872. It has ,
therefore , been celebrated 2G years and
its next return will crown its 27 years of
ago.
' It is a great solace to mo that its ob
servance has become so general through
out the United States and Canada ; in
fact , throughout all the English-speak
ing countries of the world. It is the
only festival that looks into and provides
for the future ; the celebration of all
other anniversaries is as to men and
events which have passed away. But
Arbor Day is an evolution of the affec
tionate solicitude of this generation for
the welfare of those who shall follow it
in the brief march from the cradle to
the grave.
"The interdependence of tree life and
human life is constant. Mankind cannot -
not exist on the globe after it has been
entirely denuded of its forests. It is the
duty of teachers aud pupils to study ar
boriculture for economic and practical
purposes , as well as because of their love
of the beautiful.
' 'Hoping that the text-books of the com
mon schools of the United States may
soon contain much useful and attractive
data relative to aboriculturo and forestry ,
and assuring you of my sincere wish for
your success in inculcating such know
ledge , I remain , with great respect for
you and your profession ,
Very truly yours ,
J. STERLING MORTON. "
The exercises were very interesting.
Prof. "William F. Wardeuburg read the
governor's proclamation. "The Battle
Hymn of the Republic" was read by
Miss Margaret Kelley.
Some novel aud interesting facts about
trees were given by Miss Ada Wilkinson
' "Forest " Miss Irvine
son ; Bryant's Hymn ,
vine Heesh ; "A Plea for the Sparrows ,
the Winged Worshipers , " Miss Mindell
Bamberger ; "The Holly Tree , " by Rob
ert Southoy , Miss G. Smith ; "The Old
Elm , July , ' 75"byJ. R. Lowell , Miss
S. McGraw ; "Gladness of Nature , Out to
Old Aunt Mary's , " Miss E. Laubheiin-
ors ; "Tho Building of the Ships , " by
Henry W. Longfellow , Miss Mabel
Flaharty. An Arbor Day poem , written
by Miss Mabel Flaharty , ' 99 , was sung
at the planting of the tree.
The above is from the Baltimore Sun
and shows that the governor of Mary
land is with the tree planters.
From Compton , Illinois , we have these
extracts from , an oration delivered be
fore its public schools on Arbor Day by
J. W. Beemer , Esq. :
"Aud now what are the practical re
sults to bo obtained by giving our atten
tion to tree planting and to an observ
ance of this day ? It is no doubt true
that the necessities of tree planting are
not so great here in our state and com
munity as they are in Nebraska , Dakota ,
or souio others of the Western states
where trees are less plentiful. It is a
fact , however , that our groves and for
ests are fast disappearing. Our groves
as they once existed , and as Nature
made them are rapidly changing. The
place where the red man once found a
shelter from , winter's chilling bliists , era
a cool repose from the summer's heat
and where the early settlers of this com
munity were wont to erect their dwell
ings 1ms been wonderfully changed.
The ax is and has been preparing the
way for the plow aud the cultivation of
the soil. Even in our own neighborhood
the beautiful grove to the north of us
where we have had so many picnics is
destined to be a broad field for the culti
vation of the usual crops which wo
grow. The cause of this can doubtless
be ascribed to the fact that it is more
profitable from , a pecuniary point of
view. Such being the case it is only a
question of a few years when our groves
shall disappear , and more certain will
this bo if the soil upon which these
groves stand is fit for cultivation. In
the face of this fact are we going to
stand idly by and do nothing towards
the perpetuation of forest trees in our
midst ? True , the highways are lined
with willows and such worthless trees
but they cannot take the place of that
which wo are sure to lose. It therefore
appears to mo that we should give this
niattter due attention.
' Would it not be well for every mu
nicipality to sot apart a reasonable
amount of ground for the use of the
public to be planted with good forest
trees ? I am happy to state that our own
town owns a block of ground which is
planted to trees and it seems to me that
such is a move in the right direction.
What a grand thing it would bo if every
town had its park ! Many of us may
never live to enjoy the full benefit of
such a work , but remember that 'he
who plants grain plants for himself , the
planter of trees plants for others ; the
one plants for the present , the other for
the future ; ' and , in the words of Wil-
berforco , that 'he who plants trees
loves others besides himself. '
' 'Aside from the study of how best to
plant and foster trees and the utilitarian
side of the question there is still another
phase , the aesthetic side. It is that
which appeals to one's love of the beau
tiful and fills his heart and soul with a
feeling of admiration and love for Na
ture which ho himself cannot explain.
Even history is dotted here and there
with this same thing and wo find our
historic trees. Among them is the