crackly branches, which would break under his leaps. And as to the Wood-pigeons, they gave you a hint of your condition long ago. But you are beyond a hint. Indeed, you are, I believe, beyond a cure.' They were, indeed; but a shudder passed through the Fir Grove at these words, and they tried very hard to disbelieve them. Nay, when the winter came, they did disbelieve them altogether; for, when all the trees were covered with snow, no one could tell a dead branch from a live one; and, when the snow fell off, they, who had their evergreen outside, had an advantage over most of the trees by which they were surrounded. It was a time of silence too and quiet, for the leafless trees were in a half-asleep state, and had no humour to talk. The Evergreens were the only ones who, now and then, had spirit enough to keep up a little conversation. At last, one day the Spruce-firs decided to consult with a distant relation of their own-the Scotch Fir-on the subject. He formed one of a large grove of his own kind, that grew on an eminence in the wood. But they could only get at him through a messenger; and when the Squirrel, who was sent to inquire whether he ever gave way in his growth to accommodate others, came back with the answer, that 'Needs must when there was no help the Spruce-firs voted their cousin a degraded being even in his own eyes, and scorned to follow an example so base. Then they talked to each other of the ill-nature of the world, and tried to persuade themselves that the Birch had put the worst interpretation on their condition, merely to vex them; and told themselves in conclusion, that they had nothing to fear. But their anxiety was great, and when another spring and summer succeeded to the winter, and all the other trees regained their leaves, and a general waking up of life took place, a serious alarm crept over the Spruce Grove; for, alas! the brownness and dryness had ad still further, and less and less of green was to be on the thickset branches. ad they but listened to advice, even then, all might e been well. Even the little birds told them how blesome it was to hop about among them. Even the irrel said, he felt stifled if he ran under them for a cone. they had got into their heads, that it was a fine thing have an independent spirit, and not mind what anybody ; and they had got a notion, that it was a right and tifiable thing, to go your own way resolutely, provided allowed other people to do the same. But, with all ir philosophy, they forgot that abstract theories are y fit for solitary life, and can seldom be carried out ictly in a wood. So they grew on as before; and the Birch tree ceased talk; for either his silver peel had all come off, and he s hardened, or else, he had taught himself to submit murmuringly to an evil he could not prevent. Certain is, that no further argument took place, and the contion of the Spruce-firs attracted no further notice, till he spring morning, several seasons later, the whole wood as startled by the arrival of its owner, a new master ho was come to pay his first visit among its glades. The occasional sound of an axe-stroke, and a good deal f talking, were heard from time to time, for the owner vas attended by his woodman; and at last he reached he Spruce-fir Grove. Alas! and what an exclamation he gave at the sight, as well he might; for nearly everyone of the trees had fallen a victim to his selfish mistake, and had gradually died away! Erect they stood, it is true, as before, dried, withered, perished monuments of an obstinate delusion. The owner and the woodman talked together for a time, and remarked to each other that half those trees ought to have been taken away years ago. That they were never fit to live in a cluster together; for, from their awkward way of growing, they were half of them sure to die. But of all the Grove there was but one who had life enough to hear these words; and to him the experience came too late. All his old friends were in due time cut down before his eyes, and he, who by an accident stood slightly apart, and had not perished so entirely as the rest, was only reserved, in case he should recover, for the convenience of a Christmas Tree. It was a solitary summer he passed, though the fresh air blew freely round him now, and he rallied and grew, as well as felt invigorated by its sweet refreshing breath, and though the little birds sung on his branches, and chattered of happiness and love; for those who had thought with him, and lived with him, were gone, and their places knew them no more. Ah, certainly there had been a mistake somewhere, but it did not perhaps signify much now, to ascertain where; and no reproaches or ridicule were cast upon him by his neighbours, no not even by the freed and happy silverbarked Birch, for a gentler spirit than that of rejoicing in other people's misfortunes prevailed in the pretty wood. So that it was not till Christmas came, and his doom was for ever sealed, that the Spruce-fir thoroughly understood the moral of his fate. But then, when the crowds of children were collected in the brightly-lighted hall, where he stood covered with treasures and beauty, and when they all rushed forward, tumbling one over another, in their struggles to reach bis branches, each one going his own way, regardless of his neighbour's wishes or comfort; and when the parents held back the quarrelsome rogues, bidding them one give place to another-in honour preferring one another-consider ing public comfort, rather than individual gratification; then, indeed, a light seemed to be thrown on the puzzling subject, of the object and rules of social life; and he re ed to himself the words of the silver-barked Birch, iming Mutual accommodation is certainly the Law of the d, or its inhabitants would all be wretched together.' was his last idea. NOTES OF A VOYAGE AMONGST THE (BY THE BISHOP OF NEW ZEALAND'S July 19th, 1856.* Lat. 17° 3" S. AVING Anaiteum on Wednesday morning, the 16th, we od away towards the Loyalty Group; but the wind proving favourable, we thought it best to go right ay to the North at once. On the 17th, we passed nna, a large and very fertile island. At midnight we re abreast of Erromango, near the point where John illiams lost his life. This again is a large and very tile island, though not equal in this respect to Tanna; ey are about thirty miles from each other, but the lanage quite distinct, and though well in sight of each her, there does not appear to be any communication tween them. At 9 a.m. this morning we sighted até, or Sandwich Island. Beautiful beyond description re the masses of forest, the tropical vegetation, the sandy eaches, undulating slopes, and upland scenery; but, las! the character of the inhabitants is sadly at variance ith all these outward advantages of situation and cliate. We knew that they had killed the Samoan native eachers, and that cannibalism was practised more systenatically here than in almost any island of these seas; chiefs sending presents of bodies to one another like baskets of game. Consequently we were cautious-sailed in to the land, but stopped the way of the vessel when about a mile from shore. The first canoe that came off *This date 1856, not 1857, should have been affixed to the account of Norfolk Island extracted from the same journal. A to us had five men on board; girdles of beautifully-plaited cocoa-nut fibre round their waists were their only clothing: but some had wreaths of flowers and green leaves round their heads; and most of them wore mother-of-pearl shells, beads, &c. round their necks and in their earsHere they do not tatoo, but brand their skins. All five came on board, and presently three more, and then another; but seeing a large double canoe, with perhaps twenty men in her, coming close, we stood away. Two of our visitors chose to stay, and we have them on board now: Alsaff, a man of perhaps forty-five, and Mospa, a very intelligent young man, from whom I am picking up words as fast as I can. Mòspa gave me his wooden fra comb, which they push through their hair, as you ladies do coral or gold pins. Another fellow, whose head was elaborately frizzed and plastered with coral lime, departed with one of my pocket-handkerchiefs to adorn his head. We hope to call at all these islands on our way back from the North; but at present we only dodge a few canoes, &c. Sunday, July 20th. Since 11 a.m. we have been abreast of Mallicollo, the island on the south-east corner of which the Bishop was attacked some years ago. We are now about a mile-and-a-half from shore-service on deck-lovely weather-thermometer 77° in the cabin, with awning over it;-anything you like on the foreyard, where the bishop and I have just been sitting like rooks in a nest, to spy out the position of a coral reef ahead. This island has the same character of lovely fertility; a mass of vegetation; cocoa-nut trees in hundreds and thousands; plenty of dark figures along the sandy beach, bathing in the surf, or fishing. No Chris tian, I suppose, on the spot. What a contrast, as, during our service, singing the sixty-sixth and eighty-fourth Psalms, we looked out upon these fair lands that our common sinfulness has made habitations of wickedness! |