, moist places, but it thrives just
as well in high, dry ground; and it is therefore a most convenient
tree. Here is a very pretty description, Malcolm, in one of papa's large
books, that you can read to us."

Malcolm read remarkably well for a boy of his age, and he always enjoyed
being called upon in this way.

[Illustration: THE RED MAPLE.]

Miss Harson pointed to these lines:

"Coming forth in the spring, like morning in the east, arrayed in
crimson and purple; bearing itself, not proudly but gracefully in
modest green, among the more stately trees in summer; and ere it bids
adieu to the season stepping forth in robes of gold, vermilion, crimson
and variegated scarlet,--stands the queen of the American forest, the
pride of all eyes and the delight of every picturesque observer of
nature, the red maple."

"Why, I never saw such a tree as that!" exclaimed Clara, in great
surprise.

"Yes, dear," replied her governess; "you have seen it, but you never
thought of describing it to yourself in just this way. When you saw it
yesterday, it was coming forth in the spring, like morning in the east,
arrayed in crimson and purple,' but you just called it a pink tree. It
is much nearer red, however, than it is pink."

"I've seen all the rest of the colors, too," said Malcolm, "when we went
out after nuts."

"That is its autumn dress," said Miss Harson, "although a small tree is
often seen with no color on it but brilliant red. But first we must see
what it is like in spring and summer. It is also called the scarlet,
the white, the soft and the swamp maple, and the flowers, as you see
from this specimen, are in whorls, or pairs, of bright crimson, in
crowded bunches on the purple branches. The leaves are in three or five
lobes, with deep notches between, and some of them are very broad, while
others are long and narrow. The trunk of the red maple is a clear ashy
gray, often mottled with patches of white lichens; and when the tree is
old, the bark cracks and can be peeled off in long, narrow strips."

"Is anything done with the bark?" asked Clara.

"Yes, it is used, with other substances, for dyeing, and also for making
ink. The sap, too, can be boiled down to sugar, but it is not nearly so
rich as that of the proper sugar-maple. The wood, which is very
light-colored with a tinge of rose in it, is often made into common
furniture, as it takes a fine polish and is easy to work with. It is
used, too, for building-purpose