206 THE GARDEN, YOU, AND I 



to suit the needs of this spunky little beast, and the In- 

 fant riding him "across country," as Bart calls her wan- 

 derings about Opal Farm, is a spectacle too pretty to 

 be denied us. Yes, I know I'm silly, and that you have 

 the twins to rhapsodize about, but girls are so much 

 more picturesque in the clothes ! What ! thought she 

 wore gingham bloomers ! Yes, but not all the time, for 

 Maria will frill her up and run her with ribbons of 

 afternoons ! 

 ******* 



Back to the house and garden ! I'm wandering, but 

 then I'm Lady Lazy this summer, as The Man from 

 Everywhere calls me, and naturally a bit inconsequent ! 

 As I said, Bart is at the office daily, and will be for 

 another week, but Lady Lazy has not returned to what 

 Maria Maxwell calls "The Tyranny of the Three 

 M's," the mending basket, the market book, and the 

 money-box ! I was willing, quite willing ; in fact it is 

 only fair that Maria should have her time of irresponsi- 

 bility, for I know that she has half a dozen invitations 

 to go to pleasant places and meet people, one being from 

 Lavinia Cortright to visit her shore cottage. I'm always 

 hoping that Maria may meet the "right man" some 

 summer day, but that she surely will never do if she stays 

 here. 



