The Garden Gate 



I have a weakness for lilies, and the 

 auratum and speciosum have given 

 us some truly wondrous flowers. The 

 gladiolus and the tuberose are also 

 always given place. Likewise asters, 

 salvias and cosmos. A patch of golden 

 glow is running a race against a bed of 

 real red-stemmed Kentucky mint. I 

 don't know which spreads the faster 

 or which finds greatest favor after 

 being picked. This thing I have ob- 

 served, however, that the two seem 

 to go logically together. 



To tell the truth, the little garden is 

 all too small at best, and is shaded too 

 by oaks which were once even more 

 numerous than now. These have 

 grown some since the night that win- 

 dow-shade blew up, and the axe has 

 been put to the roots of a few con- 

 demned. I suppose I dislike as keenly 

 as any Druid of old to see a tree felled. 

 I worship them, but there is a fine old 

 fireplace in the house, and when the 

 days are cold or wet the chimney- 

 [95] 



