THE MOUNT 273 



cone split open, and I potted two of the seeds 

 which fell out. They grew so well, that two 

 years later I sent them to our old school- 

 master and clerk, Frederick Marshall. One 

 he planted in the churchyard, the other on 

 the slope of the Mount ; and my amazement 

 was great when I returned to Eversley, to find 

 the tiny seedlings had turned in the space of 

 twenty years into forest trees. 



But of all spots in the Rectory garden, 

 memories crowd most thickly about the three 

 giant Fir trees. Memories of gatherings 

 round the great South American hammock, 

 that hung in Winter across the study and in 

 Summer from the huge horizontal limb of 

 the outer Fir tree. Gatherings when talk of 

 44 high emprize " between men of letters, 

 divines and scholars, famous soldiers and 

 sailors, statesmen and men of science, flowed 

 freely and eagerly ; broken by some flash of 

 humour, some turn of thought as tender as 

 it was unexpected, from their host, touching 

 the dark places with light, and drawing the 

 best from each speaker. There was no lack 

 of whole-hearted laughter, of gentle gaiety, in 



S 



