"Cloudy and Colder' 



blue-jay frolic in the depths of the 

 grove, just one wan little purple face 

 was peeping through the thick brown 

 "comforter" the oaks had sent to 

 keep them warm. When I saw this, 

 and recalled how years before a similar 

 lot of plants had gone through the 

 winter underneath just such a cover- 

 ing, and were fine bloomers the en- 

 suing summer, I came near throwing 

 away the big fat Holland bulbs bought 

 to take their place, and giving the 

 pansies their chance for life. But I 

 didn't. I just picked the sole survivor, 

 tucked it into the lapel of my coat, 

 and, like the "rough-neck" I felt my- 

 self to be in committing such an appar- 

 ent sacrilege, spaded the whole lot 

 deeply under the rich black earth, out 

 of which they had so mysteriously 

 elaborated their various winsome per- 

 sonalities, set the tulip tubers in 

 amongst the buried plants, re-covered 

 all with russet leaves held down by a 

 piece of woven-wire netting and a few 



