llusion to Harry's morning adventure, which had formed the
standing joke of the day, was not at all relished by him; and the look
of _mock_ gravity which he had assumed now became _real_. His mother--
with whom Harry was a favourite--noticed that he was vexed, and that now
was the very time to apply the remedy. She soon, therefore, changed the
current of his thoughts, by proposing to disclose the secret she had
promised.

"`Well, then,' said she, `my discovery is this. While we were going up
the valley this morning. I saw at some distance over the woods the top
leaves of a very beautiful and very valuable tree.'

"`A tree!' cried Harry; `what! a cocoa-nut?'

"`No.'

"`A bread-fruit, maybe?'

"`No.'

"`Orange, then?'

"`No, Harry,' replied his mother. `You must know we are not in that
latitude. We are too far north for either bread-fruits, orange-trees,
or cocoa-nut palms.'

"`Ah!' exclaimed Harry, with a sigh, `those three are the only trees I
care a fig for.'

"`How, now, if it were a fig-tree, since you speak of figs?'

"`Oh! very well,' replied Harry, `figs will do; but I would rather it
had been one of the others.'

"`But it is not even a fig-tree.'

"`Oh! it is not. What then, mamma?'

"`That of which I speak is a tree of the temperate zone; and, in fact,
grows to greatest perfection in the coldest parts of it. Have you
noticed some tall straight trees, with thick foliage of a bright red
colour?'

"`Yes, mamma,' answered Frank; `I have. I know a part of the valley
where there are many of them--some of them nearly crimson, while others
are orange-coloured.'

"`Those are the trees of which I speak. The leaves are now of those
colours because it is autumn. Earlier in the season they were of a
bright green above, and whitish--or, as it is termed, glaucous--on the
under surface.'

"`Oh!' said Harry, seemingly disappointed with this information. `I
have noticed them, too. They are very beautiful trees, it is true; but
then--'

"`Then, what?'

"`They are of no use to us--such big trees as they are. There is no
fruit upon them, for I looked carefully; and what then? We do not need
their timber, I'm sure. We have as good timber as we want in these
tulip-trees.'

"`Come, Master Hal--not so fast, if you please. There are many parts of
a tree which may serve for valuable uses besides its fruit, or its
timber either.'

"`What! the leaves?' inquired the impatient Harry. `What use c