by the irregularity of its branches and the gracefulness of its whole appearance.’  The delicate green of the young trees forms a rich mass of verdure, and at this season each twig has on the end a tuft of new leaves yellowish-green in color and making a beautiful contrast to the darker hue of last year’s foliage.  The bark of the trunk is reddish, and that of the smooth branches and small twigs is light gray.  The branchlets are very small, light and slender, and are set irregularly on the sides of the small branches; so that they form a flat surface.  This arrangement renders them singularly well adapted to the making of brooms—­a use of the hemlock familiar to housekeepers in the country towns throughout New England.  The leaves, which are extremely delicate and of a silvery whiteness on the under side, are arranged in a row on each side of the branchlets.  The slender, thread-like stems on which they grow make them move easily with the slightest breath of wind, and this, with the silvery hue underneath, gives to the foliage a glittering look that is very pretty.  But I think you all can tell me when the hemlock is prettiest?”

“After a snow-storm,” said Clara.  “Don’t we all look, almost the first thing, at the tree by the dining-room window?”

“Yes,” replied Miss Harson; “it is a beautiful sight with the snow lying on it in masses and the dark green of the leaves peeping through.  ’The branches put forth irregularly from all parts of the trunk, and lie one above another, each bending over at its extremities upon the surface of those below, like the feathers upon the wings of a bird,’ And soft, downy plumes they look, with the snow resting on them and making them more feathery than ever.”

“So they are like feathers?” said Malcolm, to whom this was a new idea, “I’ll look for ’em the next time it snows; yet—­” He was going to add that he wished it would snow to-morrow; but remembering that it was only the beginning of June, and that Miss Harson had shown them how each season has its pleasures, he stopped just in time.

“The pretty little cones of the hemlock, which grow very thickly on the tree, have a crimson tinge at first, and turn to a light brown.  They are found hanging on the ends of the small branches, and they fall during the autumn and winter.  This tree is a native of the coldest parts of North America, where it is found in whole forests, and it flourishes on granite rocks on the sides of hills exposed to the most violent storms.  The wood is firm and contains very little resin; it is much used for building-purposes.  A great quantity of tannin is obtained from the bark; and when mixed with that of the oak, it is valuable for preparing leather.