OUR SENTIMENTAL GARDEN 



cryptic conditions, the failure of any one of which in the 

 smallest particular would plausibly explain away the 

 failure of the whole charm. We can easily understand 

 the paucity of invisible mortals at all times. 

 Well, I for one have no desire for such a charm. The 

 temptation to use it would be distracting! And conceive 

 the endless trouble, picture to yourself the misconceptions, 

 you would raise into your own mind if you possessed the 

 power at any moment of prying, invisible, into the innermost 

 life of your best friends, or your enemies . . . and of hearing 

 what they might happen to say about you \ 

 No. Yet I would some power gave me the gift to gather 

 all the invisible seed at Villino Loki: I would bum it 

 once and for all. 



One cannot help wondering that so little use should be 

 made of all this vegetable wealth. There it is, covering 

 square leagues of common land, to be harvested by who- 

 soever list. In former days, indeed, it was gathered in and 

 burnt for " potashes "chiefly for glass-making. And 

 therein lies the explanation of the wine "laughing in the 

 Joug&re" t ash of fougere, or Bracken, had in the "grand 

 Roy's " days become synonymous with glass itself. Again, 

 in its dry condition, Brake was once extensively used for 

 thatching and for litter ,- in some parts of the country the 

 young plant was given as fodder to cattle and horses. 

 Now, however, county councils forbid the building of 

 thatch, our up-to-date cattle and horses are too fastidious 

 as to litter and fodder, and we import our potashes. 

 Meanwhile, Bracken threatens everywhere to stifle the 

 Heather on our moors. 



If I remember right, in some parts of France the poorer 

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