AN APPLE TREE BY CANDLE-LIGHT. 357 



the middle of May, thus escaping the night frosts usual in the early 

 part of the month. All sorts of fruit trees and berry bushes are 

 consequently only now in fuU bloom, and a large fruit crop may 

 very confidently be looked for, though it may be a little later than 

 usual in attaining to perfect ripeness. Did you ever, by the way, 

 good reader, look at an apple tree in full blossom on a calm, dewy 

 night by candle-light 1 Eecently we had occasion to go into our 

 garden towards midnight in search of a bird that had escaped from 

 his cage during the day. Coming under a large apple tree in full 

 bloom, we held up the open lantern in our hand and peered a-tip- 

 toe among the branches ia hopes of getting a sight of the foolish 

 runaway. Him we did not find then, but the apple tree, bending 

 under its weight of blossoms " dew besprent," was the most beautiful 

 thing we ever saw, and we called everybody about the place to come 

 and look at it, and they all agreed that the sight was as beautiful as it 

 was new to them. If you have an opportunity try it for yourself, 

 and you will thank us aU your life long for calling your attention 

 to a thing of beauty, which the poet is not wrong in assuring you 

 " is a joy for ever." 



"We didn't get our bird in the apple tree, but we were in great 

 good luck notwithstanding, for who chanced to come the way next 

 morning but Mackenzie the bird-catcher, who soon discovered the 

 runaway's whereabouts in a neighbouring copse, and whistled him 

 back to hand as easily as a shepherd whistles back his truant collie. 

 It is a goldfinch, a magnificent singer, whom we have long had as 

 a cage-bird ; and being unaccustomed to liberty, it was all the easier 

 enticing him back to his cage, although we much doubt if any man 

 in the kingdom could have done it so immediately and with such 

 unfaltering confidence in his own power to do it as Mackenzie, who 

 knows wild-bird music better than any one else we ever met, and 

 can imitate it in its every twist and turn, chirp or cheep or chant, 

 so deftly and unmistakeably as to deceive the birds themselves, 



