120 A Little Maryland Garden 
the fallen leaves. The tulip tree was bloom- 
ing, and a number of shrubs, some late dog- 
wood, and wild cherry, and others whose 
names we could not find out. Bluets starred 
the roadside; but everything paled beside the 
glory of the azaleas. Under the forest trees 
shone their vivid plumes, some low on the 
ground, some six feet high, and to see through 
a vista of pale green these sprays of gold and 
flame, was a sight never to be forgotten. 
Every spray was a new enchantment, and no 
painting could do justice to the wonderful 
colours of these flowers, set off by their 
accompaniment of young forest foliage of 
tenderest green. 
The trees were varied: birch and beech, 
maples of many kinds, and a variety of 
oaks, sycamores by the river, and elms in 
the valley; with willows by the waterside. 
The log cabins had patches of gardens, 
unkempt and untidy, with long grass and 
old shrubs and vines wandering at will. One 
that we often passed will stand well for all. 
It was on the hill slope, and a well-sweep 
