Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-03

They dare not 20 very near the tree,
so they put steel points on the ends of
bamboo STEMS.
20 yes from that hollow tree you told
US about the other day, aunty," said
Lizzie, eager to show that she had re-
membered SO much Of their talk about the
bamboo tree.
Yes said Aunt Mary, showing her
qualification by an approving smile, " and
they make groove in the steel, so that,
after the point has pierced the tree, the
liquid poison may run down into the bam-
boo as far as the first joint. They let the
spears remain in the tree several hours,
that the poison may have time to fill the
hollow space in the wood, and to harden
Then they draw them out, and cut off the
bamboo stem below the joint, and fasten
the other end carefully, so that none Of
the poison can escape.
If that isn't good way" exclaimed
Harry, evidently pleased at the ingenuity
exhibited by the &" savages," as he had
Just called them.
. Persons have been known TO lose
their hair from merely passing bare
headed under the branches of the upas-
tree" continued Aunt Mary. Birds
Gnd it difficult to fly over the tree"
What if they should happen to alight
on it, aunty ?" asked Lizzie, anxiously.
thinking, at the same time, of her own
little canary
They would Immediately fall dead,
Aunt Mary replied.
Poor little things said Lizzie, with
a sigh am glad. we haven't those ugly
trees here"
But you said, the other day, that you
wished you could live where orange trees
and cocoa nut trees grow. And if you did.
you would have to live where poison trees
grow too, said Harry.
/" Yes" added Aunt Mary, and not
only poisonous trees, but venomous reptiles
and wild beasts, like the tiger, lions,
leopards, hyenas, jackals, and many other
dangerous animals, and poisonous insects
too, flying in the air. We must not forget
that there is no paradise on earth, where
we can be free from all annoyances and
dangers and we must remember, too,
always TO receive God 5 gifts with graf
itude and contentmeut, feeling sure that
His wisdom has placed Us just where 1t Is
best for US to be, aud has surrounded Us
with Just those things best tor our use
" And now, before | leave to make the
nice dumplings l promis d you for dinner
| am going to tell you about some cradles
and bath tubs that grow, all ready for use
on a tree"
" Now, aunty, you must be Joking this
time, said Lizzie, looking up from Ler
work. very incredu,ousy, at her aunt.
No, l am not" said Aunt Mary.
smiling. Some flowers have covering OF
sort of little house over them to protect
them II Is called the spathe."
20, remember one day when we were
in the dell yonder, YOU showed Us the
,pathe of wake robin, or Indian turuip,
said Harry. 1t was large, green sort Of
leaf that came up all around the little
flowers that grow on the lower part Of the
round stalk that stands up in the middle
OF IT, aud then bent over the top, some
thing like a roof and you told u that the
beautiful white trumpet-shaped part OF
the Gala was not flower. as | thought it
was but only a covering for the little yell
low flowers that grow inside Of 1t on q
stalk
well, continued Aunt Mary the
Rafia palm which is q very large tree,
bears flower Of great size. 1t Is spathe
sometimes two yards long.
5. Nhcw whistled Harry What a
giant flower it must be to require such =
large house to cover it Think what a
bouquet Q bunch of such flowers would
make Wouldn't YOU ike one Lizzie p
Il would look like forest, l think,
said Lizzie, laughing heartily as She imag-
ined herself carrying bouquet as high as
. very tall man | should have TO climb
upon a ladder when wanted to smell Of it
Ii must be the spathe of this great flower
that makes cradles and bath tabs, aunty.
" ou are right. said Aunt Mary.
!. The native women use the great spathe
in those ways It looks something like
broad boat. and very cunning the little fat
dumTling babies look, padding about in if
when it is filled with water.
81 suppose they can rock the cradles. :
Harry remarked
Beiu. dry and hard, aud their sides
rounding, l imagine they rock easily re-
piled Aunt Mary
" And now aunty," said Lizzie, looking
at the clock on the mantle, as 1t was about
10 strike, that she might see the door
above the face open TO allow the little
cuckoo to hop out while it sounded it,
pretty note, and then to jump back again,
the door quickly closing alter it
"Itis time to make the dumplings,
said Harry, finishing Lizzie's sentence for
her.
Why, how did you know what was
going to say, Harry Doane? -
Don't | know what certain person
is thinking of when Aunt Marys dump
lings are on hand said Harry, looking
roguishly at his sister, at the same time
noticing, with quite as much interest and
satisfaction as Lizzie, his aunt, as she ar
ranged her work-basket before leaving for
the kitchen.
Sponge Fishing.
H., - ,o.o,,r4 ~ 20 fvo,-,,l