8 THE CHFvONICLES OF A GAEDEN. 



" Oh ! to work such a change ! — by God's grace to recall 

 A poor soul from the death-sleep ! To this — 

 To this joy that the angels partake, what were all 

 That the worldly and sensual call bliss ! " 



Mrs Southey. 



So much for the charms of a summer shower, and the 

 ideas suggested by it. But even in bleak, dull weather, 

 there is always something to be done in the garden for 

 which such weather is requisite ; and surely, as the author 

 of the " Manse Garden" remarks : — " Not a little may be 

 said for an occupation that can make a November drizzle 

 more cheering than the sunny dews of May." That gar- 

 dening does so sometimes, will be admitted by all w^io have 

 had favourite shrubs to transplant at that season. 



There are so many excellent works on gardening, both 

 of a popular and scientific nature, that any one w^ho wishes 

 to study the subject will find all he wishes to know, and a 

 good deal more, in these books; but the good rule, " Try 

 it yourself," is still applicable, if w^e really wish to enjoy 

 the garden. It seems rather a discouraging hint to set 

 out with, but I suspect it is a true one, that we must sub- 

 mit to learn hy failure. Somehow these disagreeable les- 

 sons make a deeper impression on us, set us to discover the 

 cause of the failure, and produce forethought in a way no 

 other experience does. I believe, however, that many dis- 

 appointments in gardening might be avoided by amateurs, 

 (I presume only to write for such,) if they would moderate 

 tlieir desires, and would not expect that unskilled labour 

 sliould })roduce results equal to the efforts of an experienced 



