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Holly. 
A tree or shrub of the genus Ilex. The Euro¬ 
pean species (/. aquifolium ) is best known, having 
glossy green leaves, with a spiny, waved edge, and 
hearing berries that turn red or yellow about Michael¬ 
mas. 
The holly is much used to adorn churches and houses at Christmas 
time, and hence is associated with scenes of good-will and rejoicing. It is 
an evergreen tree, and has a fine-grained, heavy , ivhite wood. The Ameri¬ 
can holly is the I. opaca , and is found along the coast of the United States 
from Maine southward. 
Strength of Character. 
Character is a great word—one of the greatest. Character is higher 
than intellect. A great soul will he strong to live, as well as to think. 
Character is really the governing element in life, and is above 
genius. 
“Character,” says Emerson, “is the habit of action from the perma¬ 
nent vision of truth. It carries a superiority to all the accidents of life. 
It compels right relation to every other man—domesticates itself with 
strangers and enemies.” 
“Character,” says another, “is the result of two great forces: the 
initial force which the Creator gave it when lie called man into being, and, 
also, the force of all the influence and culture that mould and modify the 
development of a life.” 
A great character is not a man of iron, but of live oak. 
Character is a thing that w T ill take care of itself; and all character 
that does not take care of itself is either very weak or utterly fictitious. 
. A good man’s great, strong, noble character, shining in its righteous 
