THE FRUITS IN CONVENTION. 449 



last. He was a warm friend to progress in horticulture, and he was 

 fully of the opinion of the Jersey Red-Streak, that things should 

 not come among us, plain republicans, in disguise. How, indeed, 

 did we know that these Pears of France were not sent out here 

 under these queer names for the very purpose of corrupting our 

 morals ; or, at least, imposing on us in some way ? He had been 

 settled in a garden for some years, among a pleasant society of trees, 

 when last spring the owner introduced a new Pear from abroad, 

 under the fine name of " Chat brule" For some time the thing 

 put on airs, and talked about its estate and chateau having been 

 destroyed by incendiaries; and it showed a petition for charity. 

 What was his amazement, one day, when the daughter of the pro- 

 prietor came in the garden, to see the contempt with which she 

 turned away from this Pear, and exclaimed, " what could have in- 

 duced pa to have brought this 'singed cat 'here?" Chat brule, 

 indeed! He bent over the creature and switched her finely the 

 first stormy day. He was for translating all good fruits and damn- 

 ing all bad ones. (At hearing this, certain second-rate Strawber- 

 ries commenced running^) 



The convention grew very excited as the Mazzard sat down. 

 The Muscat Noir Grape looked black in the face ; the Crown Bob 

 Gooseberry threw up his hat ; and the Blood Peach, who had been 

 flirting with a very worthless fellow the French soft-shelled Al- 

 mond turned quite crimson all over. Cries of "order, order," 

 were heard from all sides ; and it was only restored when a little, 

 plump, Dolly- Varden-looking young girl, who was a great favorite 

 in good society, sprang upon a chair in order to be seen and 

 heard. 



This was the Lady Apple. Her eyes sparkled, and set off her 

 brilliant complexion, which was quite dazzlingly fair. It was easy 

 to see that she was a sort of spoiled child among the fruits. 



Mr. Speaker, she said in a very sweet voice, you will indulge 

 me, I am sure, with a very little speech my maiden speech. I 

 should not have ventured here, but I positively thought it was to 

 havfr been a private party, and not one of these odious mass meet- 

 ings. 1 am accustomed to the society of well-bred people, and 

 know something of the polite language of both hemispheres. In- 

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