[Illustration: _W. H. Venable._] Saga of the Oak AND OTHER POEMS BY WILLIAM H. VENABLE [Illustration] NEW YORK Dodd, Mead & Company 1904 Copyright, 1884, 1893, by W. H. VENABLE Copyright, 1904, by DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY Published April, 1904 BURR PRINTING HOUSE NEW YORK _CONTENTS_ PAGE SAGA OF THE OAK 1 A DIAMOND 8 MY CATBIRD 9 THE TUNES DAN HARRISON USED TO PLAY 12 FAIRYLAND 14 SUMMER LOVE 17 CLOVER HILL 19 THE WEDDING DEFERRED 21 TO THE LITTLE MIAMI RIVER 23 IMMORTAL BIRD SONG 25 HINCHMAN’S MILL 27 VICTOR 30 THE LAST FLIGHT 33 A GENTLE MAN 36 INVIOLATE 38 FAITH 40 PLATO 41 DANTE 42 WAGNER’S KAISER MARCH 43 DEFOE IN THE PILLORY 44 WE THE PEOPLE 46 EIGHTY-SEVEN 49 THE FOUNDERS OF OHIO 50 THE FOREST SONG 52 A BALLAD OF OLD KENTUCKY 54 JOHN FILSON 57 JOHNNY APPLESEED 62 WENDING WESTWARD 68 THE TEACHER’S DREAM 71 BY THEIR FRUITS 75