IV 



TREES THAT ARE FASHIONABLE 



Through the grey and sombre wood 

 Against the dusk of fir and pine, 



Last of their floral sisterhood 



The hazel's yellow blossoms shine. 



WHITTIKR. 



OF all well-dressed beings, the trees are the 

 nearest approach to fashion-plates. They 

 are always attired from crown to roots in perfect 

 taste. Though young and scraggly or old and 

 wind-racked, they still display a certain harmony 

 and beauty of costume not seen in every part of 

 the plant world. Tree-flowers are of many shapes 

 and colours, yet they invariably fit in perfectly with 

 the colour scheme of the bark and leaves. It is 

 as if the trees had a private key to the bandbox of 

 nature, and used the fairies as dress maids. 



Most men and all women make four general 

 changes of costume each year. So do the trees. In 

 fact, there is little doubt but what the trees were 

 the innovators, as they have lived ages longer on 



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