MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 105 



by the way, the pleasure of the jockey in 

 setting up the tail of the horse artificial 

 ly. If I had a horse with a tail not 

 able to sit up, I should feed the horse, 

 and curry him into good spirits, and let 

 him set up his own tail. When I see a 

 poor, spiritless horse going by with an 

 artificially set-up tail, it is only a signal 

 of distress. I desire to be surrounded 

 only by healthy, vigorous plants and 

 trees, which require constant cutting-in 

 and management. Merely to cut away 

 dead branches is like perpetual attend 

 ance at a funeral, and puts one in low 

 spirits. I want to have a gafden and 

 orchard rise up and meet me every 

 morning, with the request to &quot; lay on, 

 Macduff.&quot; I respect old age ; but an 

 old currant-bush, hoary with mossy 

 bark, is a melancholy spectacle. 



I suppose the time has come when I 

 am expected to say something about 



