16 THE GARDEN, YOU, AND I 



What business have people to put such dangerous sky- 

 lights near a public road?" 



Meanwhile, as wrath arose in my throat and formed 

 ugly words, Jupiter, a great friend of ours, who has had 

 more comfortable meals in our kitchen during the winter 

 than the careless kennel men would have wished to be 

 known, sprang toward me with well-meant, if rough, 

 caresses, evidently the few scratches he had amounted 

 to nothing. I forgave him the cat cheerfully, but my 

 poor carnations ! They do not belong to the grovelling 

 tribe of herbs that bend and refuse to break like portu- 

 laca, chickweed, and pusley the accursed. Fortunately, 

 just then, a scene of the past year, which had come to me 

 by report, floated across my vision. Our young hounds, 

 Bob and Pete, in the heat of undisciplined rat-catching 

 (for these dogs when young and unbroken will chase 

 anything that runs), completely undermined the Van- 

 deveers' mushroom bed, the door of the pit having been 

 left open ! 



When Mr. Vandeveer recovered himself, he began 

 profuse apologies. Would "send the glazier down 

 immediately" "so sorry to spoil such lovely young 

 onions and spinach!" 



" What ! not early vegetables, but flowers ? " Oh, then 

 he should not feel so badly. Really, he had quite for- 



