"'If the oak's before the ash,
Then you may expect a splash;
But if the ash is 'fore the oak,
Then you must beware a soak.'"

"That must mean," said Malcolm, after considering this rather puzzling
verse, "that it'll rain any way."

"I think it does," replied Miss Harson, with a smile at Malcolm's air of
deep thought, "and it is quite safe to say that in England. But, as 'a
soak' sounds more serious than 'a splash,' it is to be hoped that the
ash will not get ahead of the oak. I do not know what they are doing in
England this year, but here the oak is a day or two ahead. The foliage
of the ash is entirely different, as it has _pinnate_ leaves, which
means leaves arranged in two rows, one on each side of a common stem, or
_petiole_, like--What, Clara?"

"Rose-leaves," was the prompt reply.

"And leaves of the locust trees on the other side of the road," added
Malcolm.

[Illustration: THE COMMON ASH.]

"And the sumac," said their governess, "and a number of others that
might be mentioned. This kind of foliage is always graceful, and the
ash is one of our largest and handsomest trees. It is said to be more
common in America than in any other part of the globe. In Europe,
because of its beauty, it is called the painter's tree. It is a