52 



THE HOLLY TREE. 



The polished surtaces ot their lemes are itN mirror : thev 'flitter 

 silver white in the sunliyht, thev reflect the hlue of summer and 

 the trrev moods ot duller davs. Thev irrow dark and heavv under 

 the influence ot a passing cloud, when all the svirrounding foliage 

 seems fresher bv contrast and ot a more delicate green. It the top- 

 most boughs become sparse and scantv under the stress of weather, 

 there is the more opportunitv tor bright intervening patches of sky. 

 In winter the sombre foliage ot the Htdlv plays a kindly part 

 in filling the emptv spaces between the trunks and the lou'er branches 

 of the leafless trees ; and when the ground is covered with snow, and 

 stem and leaf are powdered with white, nothing can dim the bravery 

 of its scarlet berries. The " Hollen " can be trained to form a dense 

 protecting hedge, or trimmed, like the box, into the neat conical 

 bushes that are so characteristic a feature ot the tormal garden, or 

 again it will make a sheltering porch tor the garden gate of the 

 cottage. With rich and poor, the Hollv tree of song and storv finds 

 favour everywhere. 



