The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-08
NEW ARTISTIC o o
"'The Songs of the Trees" the Work of
the Misses Robinson.

One of the most artistic books Of the year
is 1.-THE Songs Of the Trees" just issued by
the Bobbs-Merrill Company. 1t is an In
dianapolis production from cover to cover,
the text and Illustrations being the work of
Mary Y. Robinson, who is among the best
known Of Indianapolis artists, and the little
melodies which the verses being
the work of her sister. Josephine Robinson,
one OF the most talented of Indianapolis
singers.
While the new volume is written in the
simplest language and intended as a chill
dren's book, it is one that will prove inter-
eSting and amusing to adult readers, who
will appreciate more than the little folks it's
great artistic merit. The author has told in
delightful style. that is at once entertaining
and instructive, all about the trees that
are symbolical of the different months Of
the year-the holly tree as the January type,
the herald tree" or pine, with Its limbs
pointing toward the SOUTH" standing for
February. the wind tree for March, the
''rock-a-bye' (peach tree). for April, and so
on through the changing seasons. Little
prose essays tell the histories of the trees,
while pretty verses, welded to tuneful little
melodies, sing their praises.
For the present month of November Miss
Robinson tells OF the ghost tree"-the tree
that
-"sings on November nights,
AS it burns and burns with a blush light.
1t snaps Up the chimney with right good
might,
And falls on the hearth into ashes white"
We sit around the great roaring fire.
she writes In her prose essay, and watch
the old log snap. and blow, and whirl, and
vanish up the chimney, we think this is the
end of our good times out under the beauti-
full green trees. For the trees stand stiff,
and bare, and cold, out in the fast darken-
Ing days, and soon the days will be shorter
and the nights longer and we shall have no
more tree-songs until the coming of the
spring. But listen to the old log as it burns;
there is nothing weary or sad about 1t, and
suppose we take courage and see what be-
comes of all the treeS-surely all are not
used for lrewood. / have lived in a tree all
my life: yes, a real tree, done over into a
style comfortable for me to live in. That is,
/ have always lived in a frame or wood
house-and L wonder how many little boys
and girls sleep and dream in tree tops every
night and have never known 1t. Run and
see If you are sleeping in n wooden bed and
If you are, find out what kind of tree made
your bed. Is it a pine? Then read all the
stories and poems about the pine family;
or is 1t a walnut, cherry, mahogany or ma
pie? Every one Of these trees has a story
well worth knowing. And when you eat
your dinner remember that you are really
at a picnic, for the chair you sit on is a
tree and the table you are eating from is a
tree. and il you get a good book to read
and take with you a nice red apple and
crawl up into a big chair before the fire, you
will like TO know that you are still In the
wide-spreading arms of some famous old
tree family. oh, yes indeed, our homes are
all full of trees"
This is a good sample of the authors style
throughout the book. Young readers-and
old readers too, for that matter-will find
that they are learning something about
nature that they ought TO have known be-
fore while being entertained by little ro-
mantle fancies that add a great charm TO
illustrations by Miss Robinson are the work
Of a thorough artist; the admirable conyen-
tional designs OF the trees. the beautiful let