NOVEMBER. 259 



one that thrives freely in any light garden soil, and is one which no garden should 

 be without. It is an old species, having been introduced to English collections 

 many years ago from the Cape of Good Hope. For a bed or border it is admir- 

 ably adapted, growing about two or three feut high, and producing alnindance of 

 flowers of a light red and orange colour, toward the cud of summer and in au- 

 tumn. Various plants of it are at present in flower at Kew, and some of them 

 being large produce from ten to twelve racemes of flowers, which, from their 

 lively colour, have a charming effect. 



Royal Botanic Gardens, Keio. J. IIoulston. 



A PACKET OF SEEDS SAVED BY AN OLD GARDENER. 



[Continued from p. 232.] 



I NEED not tell how quick I was off, and how often I said, and 

 how heartily, " Thank God!" I was soon there. And what a 

 happy sight! the window-blind just enough of one side to shew the 

 old table in the old spot, all laid out and ready, as if I had never 

 moved away at all ; and inside there was my sick boy in his chair, 

 and the two little girls, and dicky's cage on its old nail, and every 

 bit of furniture in its place ; and the little corner mahogany cuj)board, 

 with its glass front and little silver things that I had left with the 

 shopkeeper, that was back too. 



" How's this, mother .?" I said to my wife ; " how's this .'" But, 

 poor thing, she couldn't speak ; and so to tea we went : but do what 

 I would, I couldn't swallow a bit to eat, only a cup or two ; and I 

 was off and on my seat so often, and here and there to look at things, 

 I was just like a chip in an eddy. After tea, I set to work, and got 

 the bedsteads put together, and things upstairs all to rights ; and 

 when the children were laid down, I had my wife tell me all about 

 how it was I'd got back. It was not the new shawl and shoes made 

 her so cheerful the evening before ; but the squire had been down 

 whilst I was out, and told her I was to be his gardener again ; but 

 that she wasn't to say a word to me about it, for he did not want 

 me to know, and he'd send the cart and take all the things up to 

 the cottage, and she was to go up and make all as comfortable as 

 she could before I got back from my work. When she thanked 

 him, she was like all womenfolks, she out with all our troubles, and 

 what we'd suffered one way and another ; and would have kept on 

 for an hour, I dare say, only the squire blew his nose so loud to 

 stop her, as she thought, and bid her not say a word to me, only do 

 as he bid. " And," said he, " if you are glad he should live with 

 me again, you may thank Miss Laura the governess ; for I always 

 thought Gregory was doing very well, till she told me he was not, 

 and then I meant him to come back when my gardener left ; and 

 I would have told him so when I saw him up against the planta- 

 tion, only he did not seem to care to speak to me." " That shews," 

 said I, " how people don't understand one another, all for want of 

 a word or two. If he'd only have said he wanted to speak to me, 

 how glad I should have been to have heard him say as much as he 

 did to you !" 



