216 FIRST STEPS IN GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. 



with fleshy fruit, which children are very fond of, 

 but which has the strange property of making 

 their complexions quite yellow." 



" How very odd !" exclaimed Mary. " The 

 Children of that country must look as if they had 

 the jaundice. What is the name of the tree that 

 bears such strange fruit ?" 



" Botanists call it G-ustava spedosa ; and they tell 

 us that the effect on the constitution ceases in one, 

 or at most two days, after which the children re- 

 gain their natural colour. The next tribe I shall 

 mention is the CRANBERRY tribe, containing cran- 

 berries, bilberries, and whortle-berries, (which are 

 all of one family,) besides many foreign sorts. 

 You are well acquainted with these fruits as pre- 

 serves, although you have only seen whortle-berries 

 growing. Not far from these comes the COFFEE 

 tribe, one of the largest we have, containing some 

 of the most important remedies known in medi- 

 cine, as cinchona, ipecacuanha, and others. But 

 these will scarcely interest you so much as coffee 

 itself, which is, as you know, a most important 

 plant, furnishing a wholesome beverage almost as 

 universal as tea." 



Mary wished to know what sort of tree it was ; 



