Year: 1870

in the garden. Papa said at breakfast that
thus Is the last OF January, but il does not
look ike winter out of doors everything is
wet and muddy. 1t is awful weather."


What do | hear this little girl say 2"
asked some one behind her, who had rough
voice, and when Marianne turned round she
saw there was actually in the room another
person beside herself Klaus, the old gar.
dener, had just come into the room with
basket Of beautiful flower pots, and stood by
the front window to put them in proper
place, aud to take out the withered flowers.
lie had been at least twenty years in the
house Of Marianne's father-Baron Witkoff
and, as he was an old and faithful servant,
he could take the liberty of asking such
question of his employers little daughter.


Marianne now went up 10 him, looked at
him while he was engaged in his work, and
then said in a sad tone


\ You see, Klaus that if the weather re-
mains wet like it is now grandmamma can
not come to my birthday the next day after
tomorrow. The doctor has told her not to
expose herself to dampness, lest the pains in
her feet become greater And ever since
Christmas have had such nice time think
ing about my dear grandmamma coming to
my topth birthday"


Yes, yes your grandmother is always
welcome to US ALL" said the old gardener,
bowing his snow.white head and, besides,
1t is always an encouragement to me, after
the long cold winter, to see the first rays Of
the sun shine down on my flowers in the con.
servatory. But my little mistress should not
scold at the rainy weather. even though the
good weather might bring so much Joy to us
all. God gives us rain and sunshine aud He
knows better than we do what we need.
Rainy weather is not bad just at this time,
and we gardeners have always great reason to
be thankful for the heavy rains which come
just about the last Of January"


d" Now, Klaus, what good can rain do
garden at this time There is nothing out
Of doors that it can do any good to the
flowers are all under cover, and rain is per-
fectly useless"


Quite right" said Klaus; " but has Miss
Marianne not thought of her beautiful apple
trce2n


"Of course have; don't see it before
me at this very time? 1t was planted on my
sixth birthday, and, though | have attended
TO it very well, it has not yet borne fruit !;
yet | am very anxious to eat some of the first
apples from my beautiful tree"


"Well, now, if you wish your beautiful
tree to bear apples there must be some heavy
rains to make the sap 60 all through the
tree"


What is that you say, Klaus? What
good can rain do unless the sun has already
been warm ?"


lane loue,had baa.t.1,- e. h. Al.
Marianne did not know what was necessary
to make trees grow, aud that the heavy rain
she was looking at was actually necessary, not
only to make her own beautiful apple tree
grow, but all the apple trees in the garden
Then he said:


81 am not learned man, but know that
this is just about the time in the year that
the sap begins to come into the trees All
through the stock Of the tree there is null
titude of small passages and pipes, which can
scarcely be seen by the naked eye, and which
are hollow and dry in winter. Away under
the roots it is also dry, and no moisture can
get into the stock of the tree, and ascend
clear up to the outermost branches, until the
rain bas thoroughly moistencd the earth. If
it keeps on raining as it does now, the mois-
ture will soon get into the roots, and then up
into the tree, and by and by the tree will
blossom and bear fruit. Aud who knows but
your beautiful tree is just making the prepa-
ration for fruit p


Marianne stood still at the window and
ookel at her tree. She had expected the
previous year to eat the FIRST apple from it,
but she now said to herself; 4" If such ter
rible weather can only make my apple tree
bear beautiful apples next summer, | suppose
| have no right to complain. Mamma has
often said that | must learn how TO control
myself, and now | will certainly make a be-
Cunning"


BY and by Mariannes birth day came, aud
with 1t many very pleasant surprises. A ml-
titude Of beautiful gifts lay on her birthday
table--pictures for albums, books a portfolio,
chocolate.candy, flowers, gloves, belts, sum
mer hat, umbrella, and all sorts Of nice things
that little girl likes to use. But Marianne
endured the disappointment other hopes much
better than anybody expected, and her mother
would not have been surprised at any mo-
ment to see her burst into tears Her grand
mother was not there, and that was disap-
pointment which she could not forget, but
which she was very patient in bearing.


About noon there came letter from her
grandmother But there was no box of pres
ents, which Marianne had hoped would come
But the old lady wrote that she would come
in May, and bring Marannes gifts with her
at that time Now, this was another hard
thing for her to bear-to wait until May for
her grandma's gifts. But her mother had
already given her great credit for self con-
troll, and she now felt that it would be spoil.
ing all if she fell into her old mistakes Of i'm.
patience and sadness. The little girl looked
out of the window at her apple tree, and said
By and by May will be here, when hope
to see the blossoms on my tree, and then au.
tumn will come, when | hope to eat the
fruit"


April came, with its warm, sunny days
and Mariannes apple tree commenced to put
firth little buds, and one morning, when she
looked out of the window, she saw it almost
covered with rosy blossoms Not long after
that, she noticed that the blossoms began to
lose their color and beauty. Aud then she
ran out and asked old Klaus if her apple tree
was going to die. "a little patience" he
said, :" just little patience all the blossoms
must fade before you eau have any fruit
Just little patience, just a little waiting"


The old man had scarcely uttered these
words before a splendid carriage, with two
gray horses, made its appearance through ths
front gate. 1t was Marianne's grandmother,
and the little girl knew her too well to sup.
pose that she would come without bringing
her some nice presents. OF course, ther, |
was great joy in the house, but there was no
one who war so glad as Marianne, who led
her grandmother out into the garden to show
the beautiful apple tree to her. They both