OUR COUNTRY LIFE 



gay, "And oh ! please don't pick them, they are so ex 

 quisite there where they grow." 



"Yes, but there are quantities," we explained, "and 

 it does not hurt to pick the flowers if we are careful not 

 to disturb the roots." 



"No, that 's true ; but think how many more you 'd 

 have if they were allowed to seed!" 



Then with an admiring yet despairing glance at the 

 gayly flowering acres, she admitted, "Well, I don't 

 suppose that you really need any more." 



I appreciated her feelings perfectly, for the wanton 

 picking of wild flowers is so common and most aggra 

 vating. Tiny wads of withered blooms scattered along 

 the path tell their own story of heedlessness and havoc. 

 However, the spirit of enjoyment in the growing plant 

 is becoming more general each year, as conservation 

 in all its branches is being gradually learned. 



With what abandon a child takes possession of a 

 house I With what confiding grace he or she penetrates 

 to its remotest recesses! What joy to discover the shelf 

 where the cookies are kept, the corner where the pep- 



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