Comfort Me with Apples 
201 
thing but a real story ; the notion that Pilgrim s 
Progress was an allegory never entered my mind. 
u Now there was on the other side of the wall a Garden . 
And some of the Fruit-Trees that grew in the Garden shot 
their Branches over the Wall, and being mellow, they that 
found them did gather them up and oft eat of them to their 
hurt. So Christiana'' s Boys, as Boys are apt to do , being 
pleas'd with the Trees did Plash them and began to eat. 
Their Mother did also chide them for so doing, but still 
the Boys went on. Now Matthew the Eldest Son of 
Christiana fell sick. . . . There dwelt not far from thence 
one Mr. Skill an Antient and well approved Physician. 
So Christiana desired it and they sent for him and he came. 
And when he was entered the Room and a little observed 
the Boy he concluded that he was sick of the Gripes. Then 
he said to his Mother, JVhat Diet has Matthew of late fed 
uton ? Diet , said Christiana, nothing hut ivhich is wholesome . 
The Physician answered, This Boy has been tampering with 
something that lies in his Maiv undigested . . . . Then said 
Samuel, Mother , Mother , what was that which my brother did 
gather up and eat . You know there was an Orchard and my 
Brother did plash and eat . True , my child , said Christiana, 
naughty boy as he was . / did chide him and yet he would eat 
thereof , ” 
The realistic treatment of Mr. Skill and Matthew’s 
recovery thereby need not be quoted. 
An historic Apple much esteemed in Connecticut 
and Rhode Island, and often planted at the edge of 
the flower garden, is called the Sapson, or Early 
Sapson, Sapson Sweet, Sapsyvine, and in Pennsyl- 
vania, Wine-sap. The name is a corruption of the 
old English Apple name, Sops-o’-wine. It is a 
