sions, and the inquiries from various members of our little family circle sufficiently evinced 

 the view each had taken of my proceeding, no less than of the feelings they associated with 

 its promises. 



" How comes on the Utile pot of sand, to-dai/?" greeted me from one quarter. 



" Ilai-e you nriy show of strawberries yet ?" said another. 



" Please tell Rosanna to save all the cream, ?h case father should bring over a dish of Paris 

 strawberries, this aftenioon," was a playful order given in my hearing, as I was about visiting 

 my little pot of saud. And still, I daily went to the hotbed i)it to examine the result of my 

 supposed seed planting, and to sprinkle them from Lizzie's tiny watering pot. 



Our good-natured gardener encouraged me to hope, and, with his Irish blarney, would 

 say : " AnythingiciU groiv, your honor, in sich an expose to the south." " But surely, Patrick," 

 I replied, " not unless I have really planted the seeds," which seemed to puzzle oven Pat's 

 politeness. 



How tedious and almost endless are the days of doubt and watchfulness, and, at this date, 

 I will not attempt to recall accurately the amount of time that gave a fixed number to those 

 of my expectation ; but, in the natural period required for seed to germinate, my patience 

 met with its reward, in the appearance of what seemed to be a single embryo Strawberry plant. 

 And when once its first feeble green shoot was fairly above the earth, and its tiny leaves 

 began to assume form, all doubt was removed, and it grew rapidly into a positive, undeniable 

 individual of the Alpine family. Nor was it until this state of progress in the character 

 and appearance of my little pet plant, that I gave tidings, at the house, of my success ; but, 

 when its existence was duly announced, all were eager to see and manifest interest in its 

 growth, and I received many warm congratulations. 



It seems almost needless to attempt telling how anxiously, from that date, I watched and 

 cared for the tender solitary little life, that seemed like a thing of my own creating. 



" As in the early spring 

 We see the appearing buds, which to prove fruit 

 Hope gives not so much warrant as despair 

 That frosts will bite them." 



The seedling grew apace, and Patrick, the gardener, ere long placed another flower-pot by 

 the side of the first, and the running vine soon sent a sucker to take root there ; this simple 

 office being again and again repeated, ere the summer was spent we had about thirty plants 

 of the same family, and were able to set out our beginning of a new Strawberry-bed in the 

 open garden. There had been one or two blossoms on the original vine during its first sum- 

 mer's growth, but still, the fruit was unknown, and also the ability of the plant to endure 

 the climate to which it had been transplanted. These were matters yet to be developed, 

 but, meanwhile, the new-bom stranger must have a name — ay, and a christening ! 



After hearing an endless variety of suggestions, most of which had some reference to 

 myself — as "the ' Emile' Seedling" — "the Doctor Seedling," &c. — the ceremony of name- 

 giving was duly and gravely performed — the sprinkling being still from Lizzie's tiny water- 

 ing pot, pronouncing my bantling to be "The Clover Hill Seedling" — and thus rendering 

 back to kind mother Earth the merit that belonged to her. 



Strawberry time, the following spring, was most impatiently waited for, and when it came, 

 our little bed did not disappoint us ; for it yielded fruit, and the fruit was pronounced good ; 

 the berries, it was soon discovered, had one peculiarity most acceptable to those who un- 

 willingly perform the task of hulling strawberries. " The Clover Hill Seedling" always leaves 

 its hull upon the vine ; indeed, it is almost impossible to pick them with the hulls on, and 

 the fruit comes to the basket ready for the table, needing no second handling. It was soon 

 ascertained, too, that our seedling possessed another gi-eat value or peculiarity, in being a 

 constant bearer, from early strawberry time, until quite late in the autumn. The plants 



