That the robin is plastering his house hard by;
And if the breeze kept the good news back,
For other couriers we should not lack;
We would guess it all by yon heifer's lowing,--
And hark! how clear bold chanticleer,
Warmed with the new wine of the year,
Tells all in his lusty crowing!

Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how:
Everything is happy now,
Everything is upward striving;
'Tis as easy now for the heart to be true
As for grass to be green or skies to be blue,--
'Tis the natural way of living.

--LOWELL: _Sir Launfal._


=11. VOTING FOR THE TREE OR FLOWER WHICH SHALL BE THE EMBLEM OF THE
SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR.=

Suggestions.--If this programme should prove too long, parts of it may
readily be omitted. If the day be a fine one, it might be well to
transfer the address and, perhaps, the readings to the third part of
the programme at the tree.

In order to facilitate the voting of the tree or flower and have it
occupy but little time, it would be well to have a blackboard facing
the pupils during the exercises with a few drawings of trees and
flowers, each with a characteristic attribute printed beneath it. The