Under the Old Apple-tree 53 



Mr. Gradgrind — that facts, facts, facts character 

 in that wonderful book of Dickens's, entitled, 

 **Hard Times." Let me say to such a one that 

 memories and reminiscences are more of the 

 heart than the head, more of the emotions than 

 the reason. Facts are cold, heartless things, any- 

 way, and are entirely out of place in a ''grey- 

 haired boy's" recollections of the tree that bore 

 the mellow, golden apples of boyhood and youth. 

 A fig for facts! The assessor and tax collector 

 deal in facts, but the possessor of a memory tree 

 in the form of a fine old harvest apple-tree — ^has 

 something too priceless for the assessor to value, 

 and far, far removed from roll of the hard and 

 stony-hearted tax collector. 



APPLE-PABING BEES AND APPLE PIE 



The orchard, as every schoolboy knows, made 

 apple pie and apple dumpling possible, and there 

 are those other direct products, sweet cider and 

 dried apples. Yes, indeed, we owe a whole lot to 

 this favoured part of the farm. 



I remember the apple-paring bees of pioneer 

 days when the apples were peeled and quartered 

 by hand and strung on red cord to be hung in 

 festoons about and above the kitchen stove to dry. 

 The neighbouring young folks would all be in- 

 vited to assist in the proceedings and afterward 

 to enjoy the pleasures of a country dance. There 

 would be deep apple pie with cream, for luncheon, 



