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I.-Exercises In the School-Room.

=1.  Reading.= (By the teacher, or by classes.)

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:  and it was so.  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind.”

“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

“I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:  that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”

“He that trusteth in his riches shall fall:  but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”

“Wisdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone that retaineth her.”

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month:  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

=2.  Invocation song.=

Tribute to nature.

[Tune—­“America.”]

[Illustration:  Music notation]

    Of nature broad and free,
    Of grass and flower and tree,
        Sing we to-day. 
    God hath pronounced it good
    So we, His creatures would
    Offer to field and wood,
        Our heartfelt lay.

    To all that meets the eye,
    In earth, or air, or sky,
        Tribute we bring. 
    Barren this world would be,
    Bereft of shrub and tree: 
    Now, gracious Lord, to Thee,
        Praises we sing.

    May we Thy hand behold,
    As bud and leaf unfold,
        See but Thy thought;
    Nor heedlessly destroy,
    Nor pass unnoticed by;
    But be our constant joy: 
        All Thou hast wrought.

    As each small bud and flower
    Speaks of the Maker’s power,
        Tells of His love;
    So we, Thy children dear,
    Would live from year to year,
    Show forth Thy goodness here,
        And then above.