mystic scene--radiant sunshine, smiling
landscape, balmy, odorous air, humming of bees, and pyramids of apple
blossoms--increased the preacher's rapturous love of nature, God's
revelation of his glory, and by a reasonable transition his heart beat
with a warm, tender, and holy affection for the beautiful girl at his
side. Her mind also was open to the beauties of the scene, and a
thousand voices were calling her to sip the magic waters of love. She
removed her broad hat and, letting it fall by her side, held it there
with careless grace by one of its strings. Her golden hair added an
exquisite touch to the picture.

Jasper was the first to speak: "Miss Viola, what is so beautiful as an
apple tree in bloom? Our heavenly Father seems to have mixed the
elements of nature to make this blossom with a skill not seen
elsewhere. It combines the pure whiteness of the plum or cherry with
the delicate color of the pink or rose. How beautiful is the shading!
How the pink tint improves the white and the white the pink! Every
separate blossom is fit to adorn the head of a fairy; and when you look
upon this wilderness of bloom, you feel that the floral world can go no
farther with its gift of beauty. As I sit under this bower of
loveliness I am inclined to adapt the poet's words:

'My willing soul would stay
In such a place as this,
And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss.'"

"I am not surprised," said Viola, "that you are enraptured with this
scene. To my mind the perfection of out-of-doors life is to be among
the apple blossoms, to feast one's eyes upon their delicate colors, and
to inhale their sweet odor. The Hesperides of the ancients must have
had a pleasant task in guarding the golden apples which Terra gave to
Juno as a wedding gift."

"Yes," remarked Jasper; "and not only has mythology used this fruit to
embellish the joy and sacredness of the marriage rite, but the Holy
Bible makes the apple tree a type of the lover and of love; for we
read: 'As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved
among the sons.' And, 'Comfort me with apples.' Such pictures as these
suggest the purest affection. May I not say they promote love?"

Viola was not willing to give a direct answer to his question, so she
artfully changed the subject, saying: "The sun will soon descend behind
the forest trees, and we must leave the apple blossoms and their
lessons and betake ourselves to the house."

She