OUR COUNTRY LIFE 



calliopsis, coreopsis and gladioli in great variety of 

 bloom, follow each other in their seasons. 



My life is really a series of Christmas Days. Each 

 morning when I come in from my outdoor nest I won 

 der what new joy this dawn will bring. I glance at 

 the desk to see if by chance a friendly letter has ar 

 rived, then if my dream comes true, I curl up on the 

 chaise longue to read it at once. Is there a package? 

 Perhaps the return of a botanical specimen with its 

 proper name carefully explained by an expert of the 

 University; perhaps only a needed supply of buttons 

 from the, at times, convenient city; perhaps a book 

 ordered so long ago that it has been forgotten, or pos 

 sibly an offering from some compassionate relative, 

 such as an adorable sunbonnet which unfolded in my 

 hands the other day. I have never gotten over the 

 childish joy of opening bundles; it remains like my 

 taste for fairy tales. The morning that thrilling 

 envelope arrives containing my recent exposures! 

 Only the soul of a photographer can appreciate the feel 

 ings with which I unseal it and examine one by one, in 



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