CHAPTEE XIX. 



Compound Opposite Iieaves. 



With or without teeth. Leaflets bordering main leaf stem. 



THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 



Theee are odd trees as well as odd people in the 

 world, whose characters are problems somewhat dif- 

 ficult of solution. A man can tell who he is, but a 

 tree only reveals its individuality by certain little dif- 

 ferences which distinguish it from others of its kind. 

 "When these differences assume a contradictory aspect, 

 we are put to some confusion. " From your speech," 

 said one traveler to another, guessing at the latter's 

 nationality, " I judge you are an Englishman ; from 

 your carriage and quickness of perception, I imagine 

 you are an American ; but your physiognomy be- 

 speaks a German nationality." "ISTot right," said 

 the other ; " for my mother was Dutch, I was born 

 in Paris, reared and educated in Boston, and the last 

 three years of my life have been spent in London." 

 One of the maples is quite as problematic in its out- 

 side appearance. 



238 



