color, so insignificant and so high up are 

 they that the world, like you, passes be- 

 neath and says, 'The Elm never blos- 

 soms.' Six weeks after blossoming, when 

 the leaves appear, we bear fruit, fiat, 

 green samaras, winged all round and of 

 which pigeons and poultry are very 

 fond." 



"Are you a Slippery Elm Tree ?" asked 

 Mabel, as visions of her school days rose 

 before her. 



"No; I am a White or American Elm. 

 The Red Elm is the one whose inner bark 

 bears that name ; it is of much value for 

 its medicinal qualities. The red man of 

 the forest knew full well what a grateful 

 drink it was to one suffering with affec- 

 tions of the throat and lungs. 



"In Norway during scarcity of food 

 the inner bark of the elm is often 

 ground and made into bread, thus adding 

 to the scanty larder." 



There was silence for a time. Mabel 

 looked down at the mingling of the 

 waters, then at the swiftly flowing current 

 of the larger stream, bearing on its broad 

 bosom the brown leaves of the cotton- 

 wood. A strange fancy flitted through 

 her brain ; the stream was Life and the 

 leaves were people borne onward by its 

 restless tide ; some seemed drifting gaily 

 onward, others again as though they went 

 against their will, slowly at first, then 

 faster, as if impelled by some hidden 

 force. 



"I have been thinking," seemed to come 

 from the Elm Tree, "of a certain avenue 

 in Windsor Park. It is a double row of 

 elms three miles long and was planted 

 to commemorate the day when Charles 



II. was restored to the throne in 1660. 

 There are sixteen hundred and sixty trees 

 in the avenue, one for each year. Some 

 of these ancient trees measure forty-two 

 feet around their trunks. How like a 

 large cathedral must it be, with one cen- 

 tral nave and two side aisles, over which 

 the branches meet and interlace in beau- 

 tiful arches, the feathered choristers ever 

 present with their songs of praise." 



"It would indeed be grand," said 

 Mabel, "I have never yet seen a cathedral 

 which impressed me as much as the 

 woods, especially in the springtime, 

 when the leaves are not yet fully grown, 

 and through, their delicate tracery can 

 be seen the trunks and branches, like so 

 many pillars supporting the vaulted roof 

 of delicate green outlined against a deep 

 blue sky." 



"According to official documents still in 

 existence there stands an elm tree in the 

 Department of Ardeche in France, which 

 was planted on the grave of a nobleman 

 in the year 1202. This would make that 

 elm the oldest living representative of 

 our family. 



"My family history is finished, fair 

 maid; soon we will be bare and leafless 

 and toss our gaunt arms to the unpitying 

 winter skies. Our leaf buds are warm 

 and snug ; we are fully prepared for what 

 comes. In the warm spring days which 

 will follow you must come to me and I 

 will toss some of my tiny blossoms at 

 your feet. Until then, fair maid, good- 

 bye," and a perfect shower of yellow 

 leaves fell around Mabel as she turned 



awav. 



Evelyn Singer. 



THE GRACKLES, 



Again they come, jet black and purple crowned, 

 In darting throngs to flit among the pines ; 



Again they fly the gilded steeple 'round, 



When twilight glows and gleams in scarlet lines. 



And tho' their dress is dark and soml^rc hucd, 

 And even tho' their cries are out of tune. 



We love them still, for in our April mood 

 They promise that the May will follow soon. 



— JAC Lowell. 



152 



