282 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



Many a bit of old-time wisdom have I had 

 from his lips during the long winter evenings. 

 A hobby of his was the cutting, seasoning, and 

 shaping of walking-sticks staffs that you could 

 rely on of ash, crab, blackthorn, whitethorn, 

 and oak, well handled. A large sheaf of them 

 he had, and of each stick he would give you 

 the history. Several of those I have worn 

 down short, and they are all kept to look at, 

 as silent, trusty servants that have, at a pinch, 

 served me well. 



The library consisted of a large-typed Bible 

 and a few books, chiefly of a serious nature, 

 and they did not wish for more. And on the 

 white walls of the sitting-room were hung 

 three pictures in black frames, one painted by 

 my father, a gift from him, and the other two 

 by myself. 



Long years have passed ; the good old 

 couple are at rest, and the old house is down, 

 and the lands once tilled are now used for 

 other purposes. 



Speaking of those pictures, as a boy I hunted 

 for all odd scraps of animals, birds, fishes, 

 reptiles, and insects that I could lay hands 

 on, and in all likely quarters. Kind friends 

 also aided me in the quest ; and valuable works 



