Receiving the storms, That may writhe you, and bend, but not break, While your roots the more sturdily take A strength in their forms. God means _us_, the growth of His trees, Alike thro’ the shadow and shine, Receiving as freely the life-giving wine Of the air and the breeze. Not sunshine alone, The soft summer dew and the breeze Hath fashioned these wonderful trees, The tempest hath moaned. They have tossed their strong arms in despair, At the blast of the terrible there, In the thunder’s loud tone. But under it all Were the roots clasping closer the sod, The top still aspiring to God, Who prevented their fall. Come out from the gloom And open your heart to the light That is flooding God’s world with delight, And unfolding its bloom. His kingdom of Grace Is symboled in all that we see, In budding and leafing of tree And fruit in its place. TENEMENT HOUSE LIFE IN NEW YORK. By GEORGE ALFRED TOWNSEND. New York City, which is the soul and center of a series of cities which may be called the Metropolitan District, has not far from a million and a half of people, nearly all of whom reside upon an island of rocky formation, surrounded by deep water. Within recent years a district to the north of the island has been annexed to the city, and city protection and privileges partly extended to it, and new parks have just been legalized there, but little that has yet been done in the outlying districts and cities has been effectual to thin out the population of the great central city, whose inhabitants are gathered from all races. The island of New York extends over thirteen miles along the North River, and it is densely built up as far as 70th Street, on that river, and on the East River it is almost solidly built up to Harlem, which is six or seven miles from the point of the city at the Battery. The middle of the island, to the extent of nine hundred acres, is occupied by the Central Park and other parks, and broad driveways or boulevards take up considerable of the unoccupied or partially occupied portion, so that the time is admitted to be near at hand when all this island will be covered with houses. The character of these houses is already indicated by the tall flats, apartment houses, or tenement houses which are rising, apparently in the country parts, out of the green fields, and some of these are six, seven and eight stories high. Extensive apartment houses, in which the floors are rented or sold, are also being constructed in the vicinity of the park, sometimes to the height of nine, ten and even twelve stories.