JULY 175 



such divided leaves on them, and flowers from the middle to 

 the toppe . . . the flowers are of divers colours, as pure white 

 and pale blush almost like a white, and more blush, fresh and 

 lively, of a rose colour, scarlet, and a deeper red like a crimson, 

 and of a darke red like black bloud." Gerard, in his " Great 

 Herball," says : " Of the garden mallow called hollihocke. 

 The tame or garden mallow bringeth forth broad leaves of 

 a whitish greene colour, rough and greater than those of 

 the wild mallow. The stalk is straight, of a height of fower 

 or sixe cubits, whereon doe growe upon slender foot stalkes 

 single flowers . . . now and then of a deep purple colour, 

 varying diversely as Nature list to play with it." 



Like many another plant, such as the foxglove, the holly- 

 hock flowers from the bottom of the stem upwards, and it is 

 quite noticeable how carefully Nature orders their manner of 

 blossoming as soon as the lower blossoms have faded new 

 ones open above them. So it is with our joys : they seldom 

 come to us all at once, but when one is dead, another takes 

 its place ! 



There is a sweet old garden by the river, that in July 

 and early August is lit with the radiant blossoms of the 

 towering hollyhocks. It is there that the boats stop, and 

 the rowers, weary with rowing, rest in its cool arbours. 

 There is laughter light and silvery, I know, throughout 

 these summer days, filling that garden, of happy maidens 

 and boatmen, their voices blending with the laughter that 

 comes through the trees from the old lock lower down the 

 river. For years and years that dear old garden has been 

 bright with its hollyhocks at summer-time, and its arbours 

 wreathed with roses and starry clematis. Every year come 



