ON Thursday, the very day of the next exercise, Mr. and Mrs. Dermott were suddenly called away to attend the funeral of an aged relative. They were absent until Saturday; and much to the children's disappointment, they concluded to postpone the lesson until Thursday of the next week.
When the answer had been repeated, Mr. Dermott asked his wife to give an account of the trees in the garden of Eden.
"We read in Genesis," she said, "that God created every tree that is pleasant to the sight, which I suppose means beautiful plants or flowering shrubs, such as roses, magnolias, and jessamines; or those that emit fragrance, or in any other way delight the senses. He created also every tree that was good for food, whether of the pulpy fruits, such as oranges, lemons, and apples; or of the kernel and nut kind, such as dates and nuts of different sorts. I suppose these also include all running vines, bearing melons, &c., and all esculent vegetables.
"Walter, can you tell me the names of two trees which stood in the midst of the garden?"
"Yes, sir. The tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil."
"Which tree was forbidden to our first parents?"
"The latter one."
"Among all the fruits which they had eaten, had they ever tasted of the tree of life?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Probably not; for after they had eaten of the tree of knowledge, God said, 'Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken,' and he placed 'a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.'