CONVERSATION VI. 



8PURGEWORT MASTWORT WALNUT NUTMEG CUCUMBER 

 BEGONIA PAPAW PASSION-FLOWERVIOLET TAMARISK, AND 

 HOUSE-LEEK TRIBES. 



ONE day the children saw in their father's study 

 a smooth, thick piece of wood, on which a very 

 beautiful drawing had been made. Mary asked if 

 she might have such a piece of wood to draw upon ; 

 but she was told that it was too expensive, and 

 that she must be contented with paper, until she 

 could draw in a very superior manner. 



"This is the wood of the box-tree," said her 

 father, " and it has been prepared in this way for 

 the use of the wood engraver, whose interesting 

 work I will one day take you to see. Meanwhile 

 let us talk about the tribe to which the box 

 belongs. It is called the SPURGE tribe and many 

 of the plants are extremely poisonous ; but this 

 does not prevent the use of several families in 



