Mother,' and you must pay attention to her; listen to her, and look at that glorious elder tree!"

"A great blooming tree just exactly like that stands in New Town. It grows in the corner of a poor little yard; and under that tree two old people sat one afternoon in the bright sunshine. It was an old sailor and his very old wife; they had great-grandchildren and were soon going to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, but they weren't quite sure of the date. The Elder Tree Mother sat in the tree and looked pleased, just as she does here. 'I know perfectly well when the golden wedding day is,' she said, but they didn't hear it - they were talking of olden times.

" 'Yes, do you remember,' said the old sailor, 'when we were very little, how we ran about and played together? It was in this very same yard where we are now, and we put little twigs in the earth and made a garden.'

" 'Yes,' replied the old woman. 'That I remember well; one of those twigs was an elder, and when we watered them it took root and shot out other green twigs, and now it has become this great tree under which we old people are sitting.'

" 'That's right,' said he. 'And there used to be a tub of water over in the corner, where I sailed the little boat I had made myself. How it could sail! But pretty soon I had to sail in a different way myself.'

" 'Yes, but first we went to school and learned something,' said she, 'and then we were confirmed. Remember how we both cried? But in the afternoon we went together to the Round Tower, and looked out at the wide world over Copenhagen and across the water. And then we went to Frederiksborg, where the King and Queen were sailing on the canal in their beautiful boat!'

" 'But I had to sail in a different way myself,' said the old man. 'And for many years, far away on long voyages.'

" 'I often cried over you,' she said. 'I thought you were dead and gone, and lying down in the deep ocean, with the waves rocking you. Many a night I got up to see if the weathercock was turning. Yes, it turned all right, but still you didn't come.

" 'I remember so clearly how the rain poured down one day. The garbage man came to the place where I worked. I took the dustbin down to him and stood in the doorway. What dreadful weather it was! And while I was standing there, the postman came up and gave me a letter - a letter from you! My, how that letter had traveled about! I tore it open quickly and read it, and I was so happy that I laughed and cried at the same time. You had written me that you were in the warm countries where the coffee beans grow. What a wonderful country that must be! You wrote me all about it, and I read it there by the dustbin with the rain streaming down. Then somebody came and clasped me around the waist!'

" 'And you gave him a good smack on the ear,' he said. 'One that could be heard!'

" 'Yes, but I didn't know it was you! You had come just as quickly as your letter. And you were so handsome - but you still are, of course! I remember you had a long yellow silk handkerchief in your pocket, and a shiny hat on your head. You looked so well! But what awful weather it was and how the street looked!'

" 'Then we were married, re

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