The hand that sent it to him, in less than a week had finished its work on earth.

The apple then became a hallowed thing.

There it remained till it wilted, grew soft, and finally turned nearly black.
A little, unceremonious visitant to his father's study would often climb into the chair near the shelf, and express his wonder, and repeat his questions, at the seeming mystery,--first, of not eating the apple, and suffering it to be wasted; and then, of letting it remain when it ought to be thrown away.

It was not long, however, before the apple was buried in a pot of earth.

In due time green shoots appeared.