MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 29 



original organic bunch of original sin 

 within the man. The only other clergy 

 man who came was from out of town, a 

 half Universalist, who said he wouldn t 

 give twenty cents for my figure. He 

 said that the snake-grass was not in my 

 garden originally, that it sneaked in 

 under the sod, and that it could be en 

 tirely rooted out with industry and pa 

 tience. I asked the Universalist-inclined 

 man to take my hoe and try it ; but he 

 said he hadn t time, and went away. 



But, jubilate, I have got my garden 

 all hoed the first time ! I feel as if I 

 had put down the rebellion. Only there 

 are guerillas left here and there, about 

 the borders and in corners, unsub 

 dued, Forrest docks, and Quantrell 

 grass, and Beauregard pig-weeds. This 

 first hoeing is a gigantic task : it is 

 your first trial of strength with the 

 never-sleeping forces of Nature. Sev- 



