MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 155 



not think of breaking into your cellar to 

 take it. I found a man once in my 

 raspberry-bushes, early in the season, 

 when we were waiting for a dish-full to 

 ripen. Upon inquiring what he was 

 about, he said he was only eating some ; 

 and the operation seemed to be so natu 

 ral and simple, that I disliked to disturb 

 him. And I am not very sure that one 

 has a right to the whole of an abundant 

 crop of fruit until he has gathered it. 

 At least, in a city garden, one might as 

 well conform his theory to the practice 

 of the community. 



As for children (and it sometimes 

 looks as if the chief products of my 

 garden were small boys and hens), it is 

 admitted that they are barbarians. There 

 is no exception among them to this 

 condition of barbarism. This is not to 

 say that they are not attractive ; for 

 they have the virtues as well as the 



