ANNUALS WORTHY AND UNWORTHY 73 



attract The Man from Everywhere, why may we not 

 have him ? Jane Crandon is quite unexpectedly bright, 

 as frank as society allows, this being one of his require- 

 ments, besides having grown very pretty since she has 

 virtually become daughter to Mrs. Jenks- Smith and had 

 sufficient material in her gowns to allow her chest to 

 develop. 



But more of this later; to return to the annuals, I 

 understand that you have had your hardy beds prepared 

 and that you want something to brighten them, as 

 summer tenants, until early autumn, when the perma- 

 nent residents may be transplanted from the hardy 

 seed bed. 



Annuals make a text fit for a very long sermon. 

 Verily there are many kinds, and the topic forms easily 

 about a preachment, for they may be divided summarily 

 into two classes, the worthy and the unworthy, though the 

 worth or lack of it in annuals, as with most of us humans, 

 is a matter of climate, food, and environment, rather than 

 inherent original sin. The truth is, nature, though 

 eternally patient and good-natured, will not be hurried 

 beyond a certain point, and the life of a flower that is 

 born under the light cloud shelter of English skies, fed 

 by nourishing mist through long days that have enough 

 sunlight to stimulate and not scorch, has a different 



