PROMISE OF MAY 



irresolutely Between two parties. Born a 

 dyed-in-the-wool Republican it has yet of 

 late years leanings toward Democracy. 

 So it votes with the conifers on cones and 

 the deciduous trees on leaves. 



Sometimes I cut a larch limb to see if 

 this year one is n't turning endogenous, 

 and am never sure but the fruit for the 

 new season will turn out to be acorns in- 

 stead of cones. You never can be sure in 

 what way these independents will surprise 

 you. It is lucky the trees do not have the 

 Australian ballot on what their year's out- 

 put shall be. If they did there would be 

 no possibility of predicting what would be 

 the larch crop. 



As might be expected, larches are not 

 virile trees, but have a slender beauty 

 which is quite effeminate. Just now their 

 this year's leaves are a third grown, and 

 are very lovely in their feathery softness, 



185 



