IS's Male 



each day to think about gardening. So it was not 

 until we had had a whole winter in which to catch 

 our breath, that we even discussed flowers. When 

 I look back on that time I find we really didn't know 

 the A, B, C's of gardening (though we both thought 

 ourselves very wise), and that is why we've had such 

 a joyful, growing time of it, blundering along, learn- 

 ing bit by bit through a hundred mistakes ; and 

 even after all these years we know there are equally 

 many surprises ahead and that six years hence, to- 

 day will be called blind and ignorant. 



When the thought of garden dawned we began 

 very modestly, thinking of attempting only the eas- 

 iest, simplest things. When we pored over the cata- 

 logues, we paused only at the familiar names and 

 the ones we could pronounce; we both shied dread- 

 fully at botanical titles. 



Then in our spring rambles of discovery we came 

 across many deserted farms and gaunt, ghostly 

 houses with weed choked gardens. With fine moral 

 scruples we rescued many plants which would other- 

 wise have died of neglect, pining for human love. 

 Of course some people might call this procedure hard 

 names, but it depends wholly on the point of view. 

 I'm sure it's a very fine kind of missionary work to 

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