66 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



however, as our garden Myosotis* is, the 

 pleasure of it never could compare with 

 the image glassed I suppose in almost 

 every heart of the clear quiet pool, set in 

 some sequestered meadow, on whose green 

 margin grew the blue forget-me-not. Or 

 of the place where it bloomed just out of 

 reach in the little stream among wavering 

 weeds, shedding starlets of heaven's blue 

 upon the water under the willows. Those 

 were the real Vergessmeinnicht of our youth, 

 and when we sat on the bank beside them, 

 or wet our feet in gaining difficult posses- 

 sion of them, we thought then upon the 

 dear old half-sad, half-foolish German 

 romance never remembered in the 

 garden plots. 



APRIL 13. At last a gracious rain has 

 fallen. A sort of quickening thrilled at 

 once through all the garden, and now the 

 grass gives out a green answer to the 

 precious drops. There is to-day at the 

 southern end of the broad walk in the un- 

 tidy because too full border facing the 

 east, a new beautiful colour of Paeonies in 

 * Myosotis dissitiflora 



