The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-04

Beautiful and strong.
To whose shelter throng
Creatures hIithe with song,
Y thou coulast but know, thou
happy tree.
pr ''he nne7 that shall inhabit thee.
He who plants a tree
}ie plants peace,
Under i's green curtains gorgeous
Leaf and zephyr nprmuf Sooth-
ingly.
Shadows, soft with sleep
Down tired eyelids creep.
Balm OF slumber deep.
Never hast thou dreamed, thou |
blessed tree.
OF the hcnediction thou shalt he.
He who plants a tree
He plants youth.
A4scF won for centuries in RaotA;
TAfe Of time, that hints eternity,
Boughs their strength uprear.
New shoots every year
ON the old growths appear.
Thou shalt teach the ages, sturdy
tree.
Youth 81 soul is immortality.
He who plants a tres
He plants love.
Tents of GOODNESS spreading out above
Wayfarers he may not live to see
Gifts that grow are best;
Hands that bless. are blessed.
Plant. life does the rest.
Heaven and earth help him who
plants q tree
And his work its own reward shall
be-"
yr~4tL +[o 5a-4 -,.o,.5s sl,n +no1, a
shovel and carefully placed the first
| esesii} t As roots, MI -thau-tns long line
OF more than fifty seniors filed by,
each one IN turn placing a shovel OF
soil at the roots until the bed was
filled
A toast 10 the ambitions planted
| with tho tree was given by Miss
Bessie lane.
las we hope our tree will take root.
laided ly sunshine. rain aud mother
nature. so our lives have been at
struggling roots and entered into the
/ garden The foods came down upon
+ as In homeslc6ns ss and failures, the
gardeners were hard and exacting
upon Us, and the soil was very rocky,
bat the sunshine of friendship came
and we grew under its spreading In
/ fuenCe, and with Il came our am
I billions We have tended and nourish-
I cd these ambitions and though they
are small now, as our tree is small.
/ yet you, my comrades of 1915, will
drink with me TO the ambitions that
neither rain. winds, nor stress of
/ years may not destroy"
Essay On Tree.
Then followed an essay on the tree
/ by Miss Christine Hudgins:
! This red towering dogwood tree
which we. the senior class of 1916.
plant today, Is typical of our lives.
/ Tt has grown among trees of
various sizes and spheres of useful
ness IT has been hathed IN the dew
and rain OF other chimes and kissed
! by the glorious sun in other skies.
The dear old earth has been a
mother TO II, furnishing 1t with all
the elements needfui to produce a
well -developed. young tree. Today II
passes out Of its old life forever, and
+ comes here upon the campus Of Black
stone College 10 begin n new life by
helping TO beautify the scenery ana
( gladden. tho hearts and eyes OF the
thronEs OF girls who shall spend their
school DAYS here We can but hope
that this application of our lives may
cheer some homesick girl, as she rests
beneath its welcome shade. and bring
to her tho thought OF Him who made
US all. and go strengthen her for the
| battles of ltfe.
we, too. have grown side by side
with various types Of girls in home
and school life Each OF US has a
work 10 do a place TO fill and now
/ the time has come when we like our
tree are to forever hid goodbye 70 the
old life and TO enter upon an untried
existence fraLght with toll and temp
tatton. AS our little tree will Some
| day by Gods grace. grow into a strong
and beautiful tree, pleasing 10 the
eve, 80 may we. as Of our dear old
alma mater and with n calm and
serene trust in God cast our frail
J harSs espon the tide OF life, and seek
/ 10 credibly I'LL our appointed place in
tGod's work shop"
! The placing cf the guard was en-
I trusted 10 Miss Edith Hite.
"IuSt as our dear teachers have
placed around Us a guard Of their
strong characters to protect us in com
Ing years, We, the class of 1915, now
place about mis- young tree guard
20 shield end protect it. that IL may
grow and flourish
white we with pains ana care
place this guard about the tiny. plant.
we would not forget the care and un-
firing effort Of our alma mater In
furnishing rs Instructors Of noble
thoughts and hixh ideals, that our
young minds might be encircled with
guard of strong character 70 ward
of everything not pertaining 10 the
highest and purest thoughts"
toast 10 the tree and tribute TO
Mr Adams was given by the class In
concert.
Here's 70 the Adams tree.
Here's 20 the wish that II may be