THE HOLLY. 



39 



size, and vigour. But, at last, it was doomed 

 to perish by a plundering and an unknown 

 hand ; one morning in spring I found the whole 

 of its bark stripped off the bole, for full two 

 feet in length. Notwithstanding this disaster, 

 the berries became ripe in due time ; whilst its 

 leaves apparently retained their wonted verdure 

 upon the greater branches. Even the year fol- 

 lowing it was alive, and put forth new leaves 

 and blossoms : but the leaves were of a stinted 

 growth, and the berries did not attain their 

 usual size. During the course of the third 

 year from the day of its misfortune, the whole 

 of the foliage fell to the ground ; and then the 

 tree itself became, like our giant debt, a dead 

 unsightly weight upon the land. 



D 4 



