April and Early May 



takes great pleasure each spring in watch- 

 ing what she calls ' ' the first leaves ' ' un- 

 fold themselves; these so-called leaves 

 really being the flowers, very evidently 

 flowers, it would seem, from their brief 

 endurance ; very easily ascertained to be 

 flowers, should a few specimens be gath- 

 ered for inspection from the thickly 

 strewn pavement below. I remember, 

 too, that when I first planned to write 

 a book about wild flowers, an exceed- 

 ingly intelligent man asked me if I 

 purposed including ' ' fruit - blossoms. ' ' 

 ''Fruit-blossoms?" I asked, sincerely 

 puzzled, not apprehending why one kind 

 of blossoms should be thus designated 

 rather than another, the object of the 

 life of flowers in general being fruit. 

 "Yes! fruit-blossoms," he repeated im- 

 patiently ; " surely you know what they 

 are ! " " Frankly, I don't," I answered. 

 "Why, /r^^-blossoms, of course; apples 

 and pears and peaches and cherries ! " 



'9 



