The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-24

thoughtof William Morris to render it in
English, in words derived from Anglo
Saxon roots, so that, while English, it
might still be Teutonic. even in its Ian
guage. AS a result we have his noble
poem, "Sigurd the Volsung," in the
quaint phraseology of former centuries
of English speech, resembling somewhat,
in its simple strength end beauty, the
old English In which the Bible is so hap
PLY dressed. What strikes me as espe-
cially remarkable In the poem is its pic
lures of home life. England's first poet
CT the home was William Cowper, who
wrote but a little more than a century
ago. The first American home poet was
John Howard Payne, Of the last century,
the author Of that immortal Home,
Sweet Home The pure and sweet homo
life of the Morse claims a place with
their nlaMial love IN the poetry Of the
ages long gone.
Morris description of the Branstock Of
King Folsung is as follows:
This was the dwelling of volsung. the
king of the mid-World's mark,
Like rose IN the winter season, a can
die in the dark;
| And, as in all other matters, twas all
earthly houses crown,
And the least of its wallrhung shields
was battle-world's renown.
So therein, withal, was a marvel, and
a glorious thing to see
| For. amidst of it's nidmost hall floor,
sprang up mighty tree,
| That reared its blessings roofward, AMI
wreathed the roof-tree dear
With the glory of the summer and the
garland of the year
know not how they called it ere Vol
sung changed his life
| But his dawning of fair promise and
his noontide of the strife,
! His eve of the battles reaping, and the
gathering of his fame
Have bred us many story, and named
many name;
/ And when men tell of VOlSung, they call
| that War-Duke's tree,
That crowned stem, The Branstock, and
SO it was told to me-"
It will be remembered that the quaint
old word mark which Is here used
| to mean land" or realm" still fingers
in the map of Europe in the names OF
! Denmark and Steiermarck (Styria).
| My friend, Maj. A. w. Clancy, of Cai-
cago, has in one of his parlors a large
crayon sketch of the Branstock of King
| Volsung, drawn at his order from the
| great painting by Hoffman. It is q
noble picture, and deserves to be popu-
/ larized in American homes for the tender
sentiment which it inspires as well as
for the marvellous realism Of its de-
lineation
It was suggested some years ago that
on ''Arbor day the children at school
might appropriately sing a song of the
| Branstock, selecting for this designation
| some handsome and favorite tree in the
f.! school grounds. Accordingly, the follow
| ing simple stanzas were written and set
1 to music for an exercise song, with an
| interlude adapted to dancing or skip
| ping motion about the tree:
Like children Of Vikings in ages gone by,
| Well sing round the Branstock, that
towers SO high.
! Well honor the Branstock, so noble and
| strong;
| Wen dance round the Branstock with
frolic and song.
| Beneath its broad branches how happy
we've played!
| How pleasant in summer It's GOODNESS
/ and shaded
| To parents and teachers and children it's
dear;
| Well dance round the Branstock with
fnolic and cheer.
1t stands like a sentry by day and by
night.
So fixed may we be in the cause of the
It braves every tempest. and SO. too,
may we
All hail to the Branstock, our beautiful
| treei
Surely if history is worth preserving,
not less is the folklore of great peoples.
] Nor can we afford to lose aught that 1t
| contains of true and beautiful senti-
ment for the molding Of character Let
| us have Branstock in our dictionaries,
and let us apply it to the dear old trees
| Of our homes