The Care of beneath. Strong and full of vigorous life although no stream 

 Plants or watershed was near, up from the crowded root sprang tall 

 stalks crowned with the splendid flower, or with blue-green 

 buds. Unafraid, the Japan Iris looks straight up into the sun 

 how hot soever he may shine, with petals flat and expanded 

 wide to receive and rejoice in each burning glance. The colour 

 of this Iris was a strange weird blue, deepening a little into 

 violet, with three central spots of golden yellow. The earth at 

 the roots was damp as though after a last evening's watering. 

 And round about a few large stones were laid, for coolness and 

 to retain the water. Some careful hand had done this ! and 

 moreover I saw no withered flower or brown unsightly leaf 

 defacing the white Moss Rose bush above. Well I knew 

 whose guardian hands had been at work. 



Early and late the Lady of Flowers is there, weeding and 

 watering and laying the cool stones wherever most needed, or 

 snipping off the withered leaves. 



" If the flowers had been her own children, she 

 Could never have nursed them more tenderly." 



I never saw her face ; although since that July morning I have 

 again and again revisited the Beautiful Garden and marked 

 how she had comforted the flowers : choosing times and seasons 

 when she might be alone with them, to enjoy to the full their 

 delightful society. Plainly enough, Iris and Honeysuckle are her 

 favourites, best loved of all the others. With these in most 

 gardens failures have been not unknown. So is it here also. 

 Thus in the broad band of Spanish Iris, the purple and the 

 blue had all prematurely gone. They seem to have altogether 

 failed. Only a few blooms of yellow yet remained ; and for 



