New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-01-08
<yrFf<vrAr. .JoURNA.L
The ola Oak Tree
rssAr STANDS ii TaE LOT on THE HoTEa At ANTE
cry.
MRS. HAERfsr STANTON.

TThe traveller on she jackson railroad must have
noticed OH his left, when going up the road, 11e
magnificent oak tree which stands III the yard q
tile hotel at Anlite, Just opposite the station. it
Ill d grand old monarch Of the forest. and we
have often looked at il with pieasure--we may
say indeed, with seneratinn. The tai pines u
The background seem To stand respeetinly - blse M
rear. "a II III anate acknowledg of The right
cf fhe ol oak fo the first dignity, while no meaher
E Tree or shrub ventures TO grew anyEale Wlatiln
lie reach of Its shade. Tastes differ about poetry
as abont es ery thing else but the foileWlns aihes
4 about that old oak, which we md pahiishea
originally Iii tho Louisiana Starr are IN our opln-
Ion, as iine concep ption Of genius, and snow as
great igor uf thought and Of Imagination as We
have come across for many year, Let 1t not be
said tat there y no spirit Of poetry in the South
ID CREstEsr.l
ola sreea whose Noble branches long had spread
Their cooling shadows DER the silent ground
# Eser Yet she foot Of man in busy tread,
Had walked tho echoes in die woods around
many storm iofty form haa nsnt ,,5
u But thou hast smiled to see It's fury spent,
And lsaKe thee still great monarch Of the wood.
And many rirtrF blast thy leaves had spread
III solemn silence Oh the Withered heath,
And ieft thee robeless n the depths profound
St naona1ch tho the monitor of death.
And reared their npdaing crests above thy head,
And xephyrs there their requiem had sung,
III wfisp ring adness Der thy foliage dead.
But thsy Asys gone their years have all been
fold
ii ysssia's perpetual green their limbs arrayed,
ANa remain st monarch Of the glade.
And year lii rear III youth ard strength renewed,
II THY bonghs anew II foliage gaily spread,
Thy sI1ning leaflets DER the tender brood
Thai tfH Shelter of tlF shade,
Mich had 1T tIou seen e'er yet the axe had rung
That laid thy fellows PROSTATE on the ground
And pisrceel these Wi]ss To bring mortal throng,
Afga spread new scenes of life and beauty round.
III in nsany i prn wiling beast IN anton mood
Had snngh thy shade To riot on his prey.
Dr sought perchaHce thy sacred solitude.
Tosscreen him from the burning ight Of day.
I The weary traveller toe. peIehanse had slept
4 on sat in mouFafuI silence there and Wept,
10 feel hiE life to bel pless grief prey.
There; too. the dsring savage may have sat,
LIZ In council grlFe beneath thy spreading baughss
Ur dusky maidea meath thy shadow met
Her faithful brave and heard lover VOWS
4 Ah. who can tell The number Of thy years,
OH say when thy first bud It's leahet spread;
Thy nohisa trunk its crest still heavenward rears
0ser generations slumhering with the dead.
4 on who can tell what legends time has writ
Til yst5e lines upon thy rugged bark,
I Or say what sages 'ronL q thee yet may sit s55
And leave on time 4 dark scroll no fairer mark.
n AH things are changed about thee now old tree.
u And sights and sounds and footsteps round thee
come lss6sli
\ al tide of life. unaoted all by thee, sS
Yet pressing onward toward the general doom
Man has destroyed thy fellows and instead
Has made bis habitation near thy root
And art and science borne with lightning speed
Rlngs through the distant wilds no longer mute.
! Thou standest here mid changes stll the same,
Glorious id beauty, grand beyond compare.
Ages to come shall still record thy fame,
And thousands to thy cooling shade repair,
And other bards shall sing Of thee old tree,
And other birdIings nestle in thy boughs,
Ard children round thy base in sportiye giee
Shall chase the shadows from matureT brows.
we may not tell thy years, thou grand old tree,
Nor past nor future of thy history know,
But abe who sings thy beauties now, must be
Ages before thee in the dust laid low.