The Charm of Color 245 



bushes is termed sultana and crimson, but it is in 

 fact plain magenta. One of the good points of 

 the Peony is that you never saw a magenta one. 



This color shows that time as well as place affects 

 our color notions, for magenta is believed to be the 

 honored royal purple of the ancients. Fifty years 

 ago no one complained of magenta. It was deemed 

 a cheerful color, and was set out boldly and com- 

 placently by the side of pink or scarlet, or wall 

 flower colors. Now I dislike it so that really the 

 printed word, seen often as I glance back through 

 this page, makes the black and white look cheap. 

 If I could turn all magenta flowers pink or purple, 

 I should never think further about garden harmony, 

 all other colors would adjust themselves. 



It has been the fortune of some communities to 

 be the home of men in nature like Thoreau of Con- 

 cord and Gilbert White of Selborne, men who live 

 solely in love of out-door things, birds, flowers, rocks, 

 and trees. To all these nature lovers is not given 

 the power of writing down readily what they see and 

 know, usually the gift of composition is denied them; 

 but often they are just as close and accurate observers 

 as the men whose names are known to the world by 

 their writings. Sometimes these naturalists boldly 

 turn to nature, their loved mother, and earn their 

 living in the woods and fields. Sometimes they have 

 a touch of the hermit in them, they prefer nature to 

 man; others are genial, kindly men, albeit possessed 

 of a certain reserve. I deem the community blest 

 that has such a citizen, for his influence in promoting 

 a love and study of nature is ever great. I have 



