The Temperance Tree

A man passed over this road, Karlv in eighteen seventy-seven. And planted the seed lo a wonderful tree, Whosc branches now tower toward Heaven. And many a word he spoke As he planted the seed so fair, EarnesÜy requesting the people To give them the tendcrest care. For said he if you give them much care, They will bring forth a lemperance tree, Under the branches of which King Alcohol and his host wU flee. Some heard the words he had spoken, Kor they thought, what a blessing 'twill bc To have hert in our milist A thriving temperante tree. So, bestowing both time and care On the seed the good man had sown Soon discovered, as the fruits of their labor, That Uie seed had sprouted acd grown. And firmly stamped on each Ieaft As it ente red the ncw world of light, Were five iittle words thus arnuiged, I kdare to do right." Encouragement fiiled the hearts Of thote labor ing women and men, For they knew that each new leaf Rescued a soul from Alcohol's den. Prayers, from thankful hearts, Ascend to the One in Heaven, Who prepared the soil for the seed Beiore the seed were given. And they promised ïïim then and there To do all within their might To aid the growth of the tree, Would He but give them light. True prayer God alwtys answers, Therefore He answered these; And the tree, now fresh and beautiful, .stands waving in the brceze. And we discover, n letters of red These words one branch adora, The "red ribbon club," of Saline, The great lemperance reform. And on another branch, In letters of pure white, are seen, "The womans' Christian teinperancc union," VVorkers of Saline. God sent forth another branch, Whose leaves are tender, fresh and fair, And placed it where the others Would give protecting care. It is called Üie "band of hope " The most beautiful of all, ' And from their branch, we trust, The Jeaves will ncver fall. Though young and tender now, And receiving watchful care, Soon will its strength incicac And golden fruit 't will bear. Three years have rolled away, Three years since the good man carne And scattered those precious seeds, Aud people now ble&s lúa name, Just as the thïrd year was golng, And becotning a year of the past, A new brancli on the tree appeared, And we hope and pray 'twill last. If by so doing it will aid To put intemperance down. Till the branches waïve in triumph O'er a purely temperance town. The "young folks' Christian temperancc unían. lts naine implictu power; And a band ol blue incircles each leaf, Which nrmly clings to the bower. riafnly the name of this branch signiries Thut on Gotl it will ever depend; That the leaves will ever look Heavenwardr And trust ia Him as their friend. If, therefore, this branch be true To the cause and the name which it bears, It will with the others unite In allevuting troubles and care. There Is doubt in some of the hearts Of the laboring women and men, For they fear this branch will wither And never revive agaui, But as a representa ti ve of this branch, Though the meekest leaf of all, I ask you, in the name of the rest, To pray that we do no fall. You have given us words of encouragement, You have given us words of cheer, And we thank you heartïly for them, As they help us to persevere. You promised God, so we promised you, To be faithful to the end; And your example we will also follow. And trust in Christ as our friend. God, in his infinite merey, Looks down on His children below And promises, if they are faithful, They shail conquer the deadly foe. He assures them, the temperance tree Both strength and beauty shall gain, Till rumsellers shall be no more, And their victims, from evil abstain. The fruits of this tree are golden, And the leaves which it Bringeth to view Are tinted with our national colora, The red, the white, and the blue. Of all the fruit which it bears Time will not allow me to teil, But he who partakes of them all Will not enter the darkness of heil. As I look at this beautiful tree And think of Christ's wonderful love, I know nothing would picase him bette r Than to transplant it in Heaven above. Without the decay of a branch. Without the fall of one leaf, And such would be the result, Were each heart filled with belief. O let each branch be faithful, And let every leaf be true. And trust in the one who would Transplant in Heaven above.