The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Apricot Tree, by Unknown

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Title: The Apricot Tree

Author: Unknown

Release Date: February 7, 2004 [EBook #10976]
Last Updated: July 27, 2010

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE

APRICOT TREE.

PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF

THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION,

APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING

CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THE

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE;

SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY,

GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS;

AND 4, ROYAL EXCHANGE.

1851.

* * * * *

Price TWOPENCE.

_R. Clay, Printer_,

_Bread Street Hill_.

[Illustration]

THE APRICOT-TREE.

It was a fine evening in the beginning of autumn. The last rays of the
sun, as it sunk behind the golden clouds, gleamed in at the window of a
cottage, which stood in a pleasant lane, about a quarter of a mile from
the village of Ryefield. On each side of the narrow gravel walk that led
from the lane to the cottage-door, was a little plot of cultivated
ground. That on the right hand was planted with cabbages, onions, and
other useful vegetables; that on the left, with gooseberry and
currant-bushes, excepting one small strip, where stocks, sweet-peas, and
rose-trees were growing; whose flowers, for they were now in full bloom,
peeping over the neatly trimmed quick-hedge that fenced the garden from
the road, had a gay and pretty appearance. Not a weed was to be found in
any of the beds; the gooseberry and currant-bushes had evidently been
pruned with much care and attention, and were loaded with fine ripe
fruit. But the most remarkable thing in the garden was an apricot-tree,
which grew against the wall of the cottage, and which was covered with
apricots of a large size and beautiful colour.

The cottage itself, though small and thatched with straw, was clean and
cheerful, the brick floor was strewed with sand, and a white though
coarse clo