MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 163 



torical scenery, you find there is a rope 

 and pulley to effect every transforma 

 tion which has astonished you. It was 

 the rascality of a minister and a con 

 tractor five years before that lost the 

 battle ; and the cause of the defeat was 

 worthless ammunition. I should like to 

 know how many wars have been caused 

 by fits of indigestion, and how many 

 more dynasties have been upset by the 

 love of woman than by the hate of 

 man. It is only because we are ill in 

 formed that any thing surprises us ; 

 and we are disappointed because we 

 expect that for which we have not pro 

 vided. 



I had too vague expectations of what 

 my garden would do of itself. A 

 garden ought to produce one every 

 thing, just as a business ought to sup 

 port a man, and a house ought to keep 

 itself. We had a convention lately to 



