ff the earth[7].' For
this reason the olive-branch is a common emblem of peace. The olive tree
is often mentioned in other parts of the Bible, and was considered one
of the most valuable trees of Palestine, which is described as 'a land
of oil-olive and honey.' It is not nearly so handsome as some other
trees of the Holy Land, nor is it grand-looking or graceful. The
leaves, which are long for the width, and smooth, are dark green on the
upper side and silvery beneath; they generally grow in pairs. The fruit
is shaped like a plum; it is green when first formed, then paler in
color; and when quite ripe, it is black."

[7] Gen. viii. 9.

"But those that papa eats are olive-color," said Clara.

"Yes," replied Miss Harson, smiling, "but all these hues I have
mentioned are olive-color in some stage of the fruit; and it is in the
green stage, before it is quite ripe, that it is gathered for
preserving."

"But that isn't _preserves_, is it?" asked Malcolm, drawing up his mouth
at the recollection of an olive he had once tried to eat. "I thought
preserves were always sweet."

"That is the shape in which you are accustomed to them, Malcolm; but to
preserve a thing means to keep it from decay, and salt and vinegar will
do this as well as sugar. Preserves of this kind are what _you_ call
'puckery.'--As to the color, Clara, 'olive-green' is a color by itself,
because of its peculiar tint. It is a gray green instead of a blue or
yellow green, and it has a very dull effect. The fruit is produced only
once in two years, and in bearing-season the tree is loaded with white
blossoms that drop to the ground like flakes of snow. It is said that
not one in a hundred of these numerous flowers becomes an olive. Here,"
continued Miss Harson, pointing to a page of a book in her hand, "is a
representation of an olive-branch with some of the plum-shaped fruit.
The branch, you see, is hard and stiff-looking."

[Illustration: OLIVE-BRANCH WITH FRUIT.]

"I should think the tree would be prettier when all those white flowers
are on it," said little Edith.

"It is--much prettier," replied her governess--"but not so useful. The
fruit of the olive is so valuable that numbers of people depend upon it
for their support. The wood, too, is very hard and durable, and, as it
takes a fine polish, it is used for making many ornamental articles."

"And where does the olive-oil come from?" asked Clara. "Do they make
holes in the tree for it, as they do