d down as fine as a
knitting needle without breaking, and still keeping its strength; it
could be pounded into basket stuff, separating the layers to almost any
degree of thinness. It handled every tool, from a pitchfork to an awl,
and made the whole of a rake, the bows, teeth, head and staff. Besides,
it had medicinal virtues; it was good for nose-bleed ever since it
staunched the royal nose of King James, the Second. Although the most
elastic of wood it never grew crooked, but shot up a trunk as straight
as an arrow. It is a tree prophetic of archery. Uncle Lyman made me many
a bow from a selected piece of ash, each year of my age a little longer
and stouter. He measured the length the bow should be by my height. What
a joy it was at length to shoot an arrow almost out of sight! "Now",
said Uncle Lyman, "you are almost big enough for a gun". Alas, I might
as well have wished for a kingdom. A wooden gun for awhile satisfied my
ambition. With that, however, I shot many an Indian, and the little boys
and girls who teased and provoked me. But I soon tired of these
imaginary foes and marksmanship. With bow and arrow I could hit the
trunk of a tree, the house door, and by accident a pane of glass. Best
of all I liked to shoot over Uncle Lyman's dooryard elm, or try for the
clouds. Often I lost my arrow in them; so I bragged and believed.

The hornbeam was much less common than the ash and was saved with
particular care. It was mainly used for stanchions in the tie-ups of
cows and oxen, for stakes on sleds and carts, and for levers. It is not
easily bent and is almost impossible to break; it is the steel of the
forest. Its foliage resembles that of the elm, but is finer and denser.
It has no insect enemies and minds not the fiercest tempests. Uncle
Lyman said only lightning could rive it, that the hornbeam drew fire
from the clouds, and one should never go near it in a thunder storm.
This was only when it was alive.

His various speculations about natural objects and phenomena, were
always in the way of contraries and offsets. Good weather was enough to
ensure forthcoming bad; a full crop this year meant a poor one next
year. If every kernel of corn sprouted, look out for plenty of crows and
a poor yield. Thus he comforted himself in every reverse and humbled
himself in good fortune. In good years he was more saving, and in bad,
less so than most of his neighbors. Now he had a fear ahead and now a
hope. Thus he balanced bot