POSITION. 6l 



exhibition — and that in the other, strong stakes, secure 

 tying, and low stature will do much to save ; but in both 

 instances a natural shelter and a natural shade are far more 

 reliable aids — far more conducive to the beauty and en- 

 durance of the Rose. 



" Cease firing," I hear it said ; " you are shooting over 

 your target and wasting powder and ball. You are talking 

 of walls and hedges and banks — of crescents and parallelo- 

 grams, as though all your readers had the wealth and the 

 acres of Lord Carabbas. You are sermonising above your 

 congregation — at all events enjoining precepts which they 

 are unable to perform. You are writing for the few, and 

 not, as you promised, for the many." But this, I must 

 plead, is as unjust an accusation of exclusiveness as was 

 brought against a clerical neighbour and friend of mine, a 

 good and gentle pastor, by one of his flock, on this wise. 

 He had been preaching, he told me, a simple discourse on 

 the duties and privileges of a Churchman, and he was leav- 

 ing the church after his people, when an old man, not aware 

 of his proximity, turned to another veteran, as they hobbled 

 out of the porch together, and said, "Well, Tommy, my 

 lad, thou sees there's no salvation for nobbody but him and 

 a few partickler friends ! " He had preached, nevertheless, 



