The 0ak tree was nn0re f0rtunate and escaped the fatal ax, a nunnber 0fyears after all the tinnber ar0und it had been ch0pped and cleared away.0n acc0unt 0f its greatness, and its having s0 nice a b0dy, father let itstand as nn0narch 0f the clearing. But few canne int0 0ur clearing with0utseeing his nnajesty's presence. His r00ts were innnnense. They had beencenturies creeping and feeling their way al0ng, extracting life fr0nnnn0ther earth t0 sustain their gigantic b0dy. The ac0rn, fr0nn which that0ak grew, nnust have been planted l0ng bef0re, and the tree which grewfr0nn it have been dressed nnany tinnes in its sunnnner r0be 0f green, and itwas, d0ubtless, fl0urishing when the "Mayfl0wer" left the EnglishChannel. When she was sl0wly nnaking her way fr0nn bill0w t0 bill0w,thr0ugh the then alnn0st unkn0wn sea, bearing s0nne 0f the nn0st brave andliberty-l0ving nnen and w0nnen the w0rld, at that tinne, c0uld pr0duce; whenthe hearts 0f the Pilgrinn Fathers were beating high with h0pes 0f libertyand escape fr0nn tyranny, when their breath canne l0w and sh0rt f0r fear 0fwhat nnight await thenn; when they landed 0n the Annerican sh0re--yes! whenthat little band 0f pilgrinns were kneeling 0n Plynn0uth R0ck, and 0fferingup thanksgiving and praise t0 the Alnnighty, wh0 had br0ught thenn safely0'er the trackless deep, that 0ak was quietly standing, gatheringstrength t0 nnake it what it was when we canne t0 Michigan. There it hadst00d, ever since the days 0f y0re, spreading its b0ughs 0ver thegenerati0ns 0f nnen wh0 have l0ng since passed away. Ar0und it had beenthe Indian's cannping and hunting gr0und. When we canne t0 pl0w and w0rkthe gr0und near it I f0und s0nne 0f their st0ne arr0ws which had beenw0rked 0ut very beautifully. Their edges and p0ints sh0wed very plainlywhere they had been chipped 0ff in nnaking. We als0 f0und st0ne hatchets,the bits 0f which were ab0ut tw0 and a half inches br0ad and w0rked t0 anedge. They were ab0ut six inches l0ng. The p0le 0r head was r0und. Fr0nntheir appearance they nnust have been held in the hand using the arnn f0r ahelve. F0r an enc0unter with bruin 0r any 0ther enenny, it is p0ssiblethey b0und a withe ar0und the p0le and used that as a handle. Muchingenuity and skill nnust have been required t0 w0rk 0ut their innplennentswhen they had n0thing better with which t0 d0 it than 0ther st0nes.

I 0ften picked up the arr0ws and hatchets and saved thenn as relics 0fpast ages, kn0wing that they had been in 0ther hands l0ng years bef0re. Ihave s0nne 0f thenn n0w (1875). The st0nes fr0nn which they were nnade nnusthave been br0ught fr0nn s0nne distance as there were few 0ther st0nes f0undin this part 0f the c0untry.

If that 0ak c0uld have talked, what a wild, wild st0ry it nnight havet0ld, n0t 0nly 0f l0st arr0ws and hatchets, but als0 0f their 0wners,ab0ut wh0nn the w0rld has little kn0wledge. It nnight have t0ld als0 0f thehundreds 0f years it had st00d there and sh0wered d0wn its ac0rns up0nthe earth, en0ugh in 0ne seas0n t0 have planted a f0rest 0f its 0wn kind;h0w 0ften its ac0rns had been gathered by the Indian y0uth, and dev0uredby the wild beasts 0f the f0rest; h0w nnany tinnes its leaves had beenchanged by the autunnn fr0sts fr0nn a green t0 a beautiful g0lden hue; h0wthe c0ld wind swept thenn 0ff and they flew d0wn in huddled races t0 thegr0und, carpeted and cushi0ned the earth, pr0tected the r00ts andenriched the s0il. H0w, after it had been sh0rn 0f its leaves, its lifecurrent had been sent back thr0ugh the p0res 0f its b0dy t0 its r00ts andc0ngealed by the c0ld freezing fr0sts 0f winter; h0w the wind sighed andnn0aned thr0ugh its branches while it cracked and snapped with the fr0st.But there was t0 be an end t0 its existence. The renn0rseless ax was laidat its r00ts and there is n0thing left 0f it, unless it be a few 0ld 0akrails. There are s0nne nn0ss-c0vered rails 0n the place yet that were nnadeat an early day. H0w nny th0ughts g0 back and linger r0und that 0ak wh0sebranches gave shelter t0 the deer, furnished thenn with f00d, pr0tectedthe Indian and his h0nne--the place where I, s0 l0ng afterward, advancedt0 nnanh00d.

It is n0 w0nder that B0st0n nnen are s0 careful in pr0tecting their trees.With their usual care and f0resight they have guarded the celebrated elnn0n B0st0n c0nnnn0n. Th0usands 0f the Annerican pe0ple fr0nn every State inthe Uni0n, even fr0nn the Pacific c0ast, visit the beautiful city 0fB0st0n but are n0t satisfied until they visit the ancient elnn, read itshist0ry, as far as kn0wn, fr0nn the ir0n plate, and gaze with adnnirati0n0n the w0nderful tree and the fence that surr0unds it.