The Young Folks. 
“Deeds of Kindness.” 
Suppose the little cowslip 
Should hang its little cup, 
And say, ‘I’m such a tiny flower 
Vd better not grow up.’ 
How many a weary traveller 
Would miss its fragrant smell, 
How many a little child would grieve 
To lose it from the dell. 
Suppose the glistening dewdrop 
Upon the grass should say, 
“ What can a little dewdrop do ! 
I’d better roll away.’ 
"The blado on which it rested, 
Before the day was done, 
Without a drop to moisten it, 
Would wither in the sun. 
Suppose the little breezes 
Upon a summer’s d y 
Should think themselves 
cool 
The traveller on his way, 
Who would not miss the smallest 
And softest ones that blow, 
And think they made a great mistake 
If they were talking so ? 
too Ball to 
How many deeds of kindness 
A little child may do, 
‘Although it has so little strength, 
And little wisdom too ! 
Tt needs a loving spirit, 
Much more than strength to prove 
How many things a child may do 
For others by its love. 
ena 
The Story of the Apple Tree. 
Nobody would expect a boy or girl, 
when heartily enjoying a nice apple, to 
think about the long history of this 
favorite fruit. Probably, next to the 
‘grape, the most famous of all fruits is the 
apple —for ages beyond reckoning it has 
‘een known to be both pleasant and 
wholesome. The bible mentions the 
apple five times, but the tree does not 
grow well in Palestine, so it seems likely 
that the word translated ‘apple’ should 
be ‘citron,’ also a favorite Eastern fruit. 
Homer mentions apples. it is supposed, 
but it is not easy to tell what many 
ancient names of this kind mean; cer- 
tainly the fruit was familiar to and valued 
by the Greeks at a later time. 
Greece was famous for its apples, and 
those grown in the Island of Hubooa were 
particularly choice. Phillip, King of 
of Macedon, and his son, Alexander the 
Great, were so fond of apples that a dish 
of them was always put upon their 
dinner-table, we are told. At Athenian, 
wedding feasts, while Solon was lawgiver 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
arare and expensive apple was handed 
round to the guests, but he forbade any 
person to eat two, except the bridegroom. 
Later on the Romans, conquerors of the 
world, collected from the countries they 
visited all sorts of vaJuable fruits, and 
got many varieties of the apple. Orchards 
were numerous all over Italy in the time 
of the Emperors. 
We have in Britain a wild apple called 
the crab, which shows us pretty pink and 
white flowers, producing small and very 
sour fruits, At one time cottagers used 
to squeeze crab-apples, and the juice, 
known as ‘verjuice, was a remedy for 
burns and similar injuries. Some time 
before the Romans came to England, 
shoots of good apples had been brought ~ 
from the Continent to Somersetshire. It 
is said that this tree was regarded with 
great reverence by the old Druids, 
because they thought the sacred misletoe 
would only grow upon the apple and the 
oak. Honor was given to the ancient 
b rds of Wales by crowning them with 
an apple spray. 
Conqueror and his Normans brought 
over several sorts of new apples. The 
first named in history is the permain, 
referred to when King John reigned. 
Another old apple was the costard ; it is 
thought the costermongers  (coster 
mongers), the street sellers of fruit and 
vegetables, were named from this apple, 
sold in old London as early as the time 
of the first Eaward. Henry VIII. made 
it a felony to cut the bark of an apple- 
tree. Several writers of Tudor days 
mention the practice of eating pippins 
with cheese; they spelt the word ‘pep- 
ping’ at first. The golden pippin, famous 
as a Sussex apple, was so liked by 
foreigners that some were grown to send 
abroad. Catherine, Empress of Russia, 
much liked this apple, and had a supply 
of them for her table, each wrapped up 
carefully in silver paper to travel. By 
order of Charles I., the ambassador in 
France collected large numbers of young 
apple trees, which were sent to England. 
A great many of these were planted 
about Herefordshire, so that it became a 
popular saying that the country was like 
one large orchard. Cider, made by fer- 
menting the juice of apples, was a much 
commoner drink formerly than it is now, 
especially in the eighteenth century, 
We often hear people 
pomades, and plenty of them are 
advertised in the newspapers. The name 
is connected with poma, the Latin for 
apple. Gerard says in his ‘ Herbal,’ that 
a preparation for the hair was made from 
the pulp of apples, beaten up, mixed with 
lard and rose- water. . 
Some old books mention a drink 
oddly called ‘lamb’s wool’ by the English, 
which has nothing to do with either 
lambs or wool. It was taken on several 
church festivals, especially on Lammas 
Day. . Vallancey says the name was La- 
mas-ubyal, at first, and it seems to have 
been rather like the Christmas. wassail 
bowl. Apples were put on a string, and 
No doubt William the ° 
speak of - 
29 
and roasted before the fire; then they 
were placed in a bowl of spiced liquor, 
Though in these days we have many 
sorts of pastry, the old-fashioned apple 
dumpling is still a favourite. Formerly 
it was thought much more of, and the 
famous Coleridge said that a person can- 
not be a bad character if he is fond of 
dumplings. One method of cooking 
them. was to put a piece of pork or bacon 
inside with the apple, so that the dump- 
ling made a good dinner by itself. 
— Chatterbox.’ 
When Reading or Writing. 
Don’t hold a book above or below the 
level of the eyes. 
Don’t read facing the light. 
Don’t tax your eyes when you are 
tired and hungry. 
Don’t use your eyes when they smart, 
or face the wind ona dusty day without 
a veil or glasses. 
Don’t fail to remember when writing 
that the light should fall over the left 
shoulder, because of the shades that 
would otherwise be cast by the hand or 
pencil. 
Don’t fail to remember that in reading 
the light should come from the right, as 
the book is apt to be held in the left 
hand, 
Don't forget that if artificial light is 
used, it should be steady and bright 
enough to illuminate the work without 
dazzling the eyes, 
Conundrums. 
What is it that the rich man wants, the 
poor man has, the miser spends, and the 
spendthrift saves ? 
Nothing. 
Taste Dua 
Why as a demon tennis player 
Does baby beat them all ? 
Because lis racket is immense 
He’ll never miss a bawl. 
fet at 
Why is a fly taller than most men ? 
Because it stands over six fect without 
shoes and stockings. 
teeta 
What. would a diamond become if 
placed in a basin of water ? 
Wet. 
+ Bik pEDtieshonon fall 
What part of a tree is the most polite ? 
The bow (bough). 
. tue: ttle tat 
What is that which never asks any 
questions, and yet requires many 
answers ? ; 
The door-bell, 
