56 THE JONATHAN PAPERS 



&quot;I like pansies. I don t know about the 

 nationalities,&quot; said Jonathan. &quot;Of course, if 

 you want to bother with them, go ahead.&quot; 

 He picked up his paper. 



&quot;Oh, it won t be any bother. They take 

 care of themselves. Please, your pencil 

 I m going to mark the colors I want.&quot; 



We went up soon after to look at the farm. 

 We found it very much as we had left it, 

 except that there hung about it that indescrib 

 able something we call spring. We tramped 

 about on the spongy ground, and sniffed the 

 sweet air, and looked at the apple buds, and 

 kicked up the soft, matted maple leaves to see 

 the grass starting underneath. 



&quot;Oh, Jonathan! Our bulbs!&quot; I exclaimed. 

 We hurried over to them and lifted up 

 the thick blanket of leaves and hay we 

 had left over them. &quot;Look! A crocus!&quot; I 

 said. 



&quot;And here s a snowdrop! Let s take off 

 these leaves and give them a chance.&quot; 



&quot;Dear me!&quot; I sighed; &quot;is n t it wonderful? 

 To think those hard little bullets we put in 

 last fall should do all this! And here s the 

 phlox just starting look &quot; 



