﻿174 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



In a few more years the gardener laid his hand on his stem, and 

 said to a gentleman who was walking with him, " See what culti- 

 vation which is the education of trees does! This was a little 

 stunted thing ; but the good society of tall saplings drew it up. See 

 what it is now ! ' : 



And another day, when there was a very high wind, the tree 

 saw an old gray-headed rook drifting about, and he invited him to 

 rest, and the rook did so, and the tree recognized the voice of his 

 old friend. " I am happy to see you, grandfather rook," he said ; 

 " very happy to see you ; you and yours are quite welcome to rest 

 on or build your nests among my branches ; but for you, I should 

 have remained as I was. to be fooled and flattered by brambles now 

 but I have learned to let acts and not words tell what I am." 

 And the old rook " caw cawed " again and again, and signified that 

 he knew the time would come when that very tree would be 



V 



remarked alike for its vigor and its beauty. And the old rook told 

 the history of the tree, as old people sometimes tell histories, over 

 and over again. 



"I am sure he would be very proud if it taught you, my dear, 

 the folly of believing that you are clever, because people who do not 

 understand what cleverness is say you are so." 



Stories for Little Fred, 



BY AUNT ABBY. 



LAURA LEE AND HER DOG POMPEY. 



LAURA LEE ! Bless her pretty face ! I can never forget her. She 

 was one of the most delicious little fairies in existence. Her face 

 shone with truth ; you could read every thought before the lips 

 opened, and bright and beautiful they were too ! 



The first time I saw her, she was- only a wee toddling baby, lisp- 

 ing her half-formed words ; with her arms ciasped around old Pom- 

 pey's shaggy neck, tugging away, and pleading in a coaxing tone, 

 "Turn into de house, Pompey ; Pompey, tach a torf ! ' 



I remember Laura in her girlhood ; wooing the sunshine into her 

 soul ; talking to the flowers ; herself as fresh and fair as a wild 



