16 
THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
think it foolish in me to plant Apple trees, but I like to do 
it, for they will do somebody good, and it is a pleasure to 
be employed in that which will promote the welfare and 
comfort of others.” Five years since that eminent friend 
of pomology, Charles Downing, sent me some choice 
Pear seeds for planting, and now in the lawn before me 
stands a thrifty Pear tree ten feet high, grown from those 
seeds, bearing twelve good-sized, smooth, handsome 
Pears, the largest of which measures ten inches around 
crosswise. There were twenty-five Pears on the tree; 
but when about half grown thirteen were removed, as we 
thought one dozen were enough for a tree five years 
from seed to ripen. If fruit-growers generally would 
follow the excellent advice of our venerable president, the 
Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, often repeated in hie able 
addresses before the American Pomological Society, to 
“ plant the most mature and perfect seeds of the most 
hardy, vigorous and valuable varieties, and as a shorter 
process, insuring more certain and happy results, cross 
and hybridize our finest kinds for still greater excellence,” 
there might yet be produced fruits adapted to our soil 
and climate, superior to any we now have. 
William Parry, 
in Rural New Yorker. 
NEW YEAR’S AT ST. BOTOLPH’S. 
I T did seem too much that New Year’s Day should fol¬ 
low so closely upon the heels of Christmas, and cause 
another break in the school-work before the last had been 
fully repaired. At least this was the mental attitude of 
the teachers at St. Botolph’s, in view of the approaching 
holiday. 
“ How delightful it is that Thanksgiving, Christmas 
and New Year’s all come during this term! ” exclaimed 
Kitty Deming to her mother’s four boarders; “ they break 
up the monotony of school-work so delightfully, and make 
the term seem shorter; ” and the four boarders echoed 
“ how delightful! ” in an eager chorus. 
And, in view of the natural depravity and frivolity 
of the average school boy and girl’s mind, it seems quite 
probable that the latter was the general attitude of the 
students in regard to the matter. So great is the differ¬ 
ence of parallax between teacher and taught! 
But, regret as they might, and did, the approach of the 
unwelcome day, it was not in the hearts of the unselfish 
men and women at the head of St. Botolph’s to make 
it other than a happy one to the many boys and girls who 
were under their care. Accordingly, when they came 
together at the weekly teachers’ meeting to consult on 
matters pertaining to the school, the holiday came in for 
a share in the discussion. It was decided that the usual 
recitations should be omitted for the day, and that a levee’ 
should be held in the chapel during the evening, at which 
a few of the “ young gentlemen and ladies ” should pre¬ 
sent a number of historical tableaux for the entertainment 
of the others. A suitable number of tableaux were then 
selected, and the parts assigned to those best fitted to 
represent them. 
When these arrangements were made known to the 
school there was a general murmur and flutter of pleas¬ 
urable excitement among the girls, but the boys were in¬ 
clined to think tableaux a bore until the needful forenoon 
rehearsal was alluded to, when they began to scent pos¬ 
sible opportunities for flirtation, and at once heartily ap¬ 
proved. 
In the assignment of parts, that of Joan of Arc had 
been given to Laura Edmonds, to her great satisfac¬ 
tion ; for Laura, although lively and social among her 
mates, was really a dreamy and romantic girl, and desired 
above all things to be a heroine. She even fancied her¬ 
self capable of martyrdom, and had often regretted 
that she had not lived in the times when Christians were 
persecuted and burned, in order that her name might 
have come down to posterity as one who suffered and 
died with unusual cheerfulness and fortitude for the sake 
of her faith. It never occurred to her that there was any 
inconsistency between her desire to have been burned for 
her faith in the sixteenth century and the fact that in the 
nineteenth century she was not a Christian, and had no 
professed faith! She took a serene comfort in feeling 
that her teachers had recognized the innate heroism of 
her nature, and accordingly had assigned to her the part 
which she, best of all the school, could represent. Kitty 
Deming was vexed, as were many others, on finding that 
she was to have no part in the tableaux, until the Precep¬ 
tress, who had observed the frown of discontent on Kitty’s 
pretty face, took occasion to remark, when passing her : 
“ We could not put you into a picture. Miss Kitty, for 
we need just such lively young ladies as yourself to enter¬ 
tain the young gentlemen while the others are arranging 
and giving the tableaux.” 
This diplomatic remark being overheard by other mal¬ 
contents, they, as well as Kitty, soon came to consider it 
a special tribute to their personal attractions and conver¬ 
sational talents to have been left out of the tableaux. 
The teachers had not made known their plans until two 
days before the holiday dawned, and well was it for the 
lessons that they had not, for little was thought of, talked 
of, or planned for, during those two days, except costumes 
and accessories for tableaux, and extra finery for the 
levee. To Tom Rollins had been assigned the part of 
the soldier who holds the torch to the pile of fagots which 
surrounds the stake to which Joan of Arc was to be 
bound, but, although he was commissioned to provide the 
fagots, the torch, and a pail of water in which to ex¬ 
tinguish the latter when done with, his thoughts were by 
no means concentrated on these preparations. Ever since 
Thanksgiving Day that stolen turkey * had not ceased to 
haunt him, and his most earnest wish had been to follow 
up repentance and confession by restitution. He would 
gladly have done this at Christmas had not his funds been 
exhausted by the charges of the tailor for repairing his 
overcoat. For it will be remembered that when Tom 
took the turkey from Mrs. Deming’s window he wrapped 
*See “ Thanksgiving at St. Botolph’s,” in Floral Cabinet for No¬ 
vember, 1884. 
