60 A BOOK ABOUT THE GARDEN. 



face utterly declines to identify itself with any internal 

 seriousness, and glows in its amazing joy and radiance, 

 as though protesting against the whole proceeding, 

 and contradicting every word of the service. 



And was not that same hilarious visage a sore trial 

 and stumbling-block, when, in days that are past and 

 a gallery that is pulled down, Joseph Grundy per- 

 formed on the bassoon ? He was but poor company 

 as a musician, was Joe, but thoroughly conscientious ; 

 and though I never knew him to finish with the choir, 

 he always played out his verse honourably, and came 

 in a few notes behind, blown, but extremely gratified. 

 We have an organ now, and the bold bassoonist sings, 

 and sings well, in the choir. Drowsy indeed must 

 that believer be who does not start in his bed upon 

 Christmas morn, when Grundy, lustily and with a 

 good courage, bids his brother " Christians, awake ! " 



Lustily, and with a good courage, is his rule in all 

 things. It does one good to see him at his work, and 

 I think of the American's striking words of " the 

 nobility of labour, the long pedigree of toil," as I 

 watch him, manfully accepting that irksome desthrv, 

 which the first gardener hath entailed upon us all. 

 A right honest Spade is Joseph. His no "lubbaid 

 labour," of which Cowper, in " The Garden," speaks 

 as "loitering lazily, if not o'erseeu." If you come 

 upon him when he is resting awhile, he does not 

 hastily resume activity, and so confess that he has 

 been idle, and does not deserve relaxation (I always 

 distrust those demonstrative gentlemen who are so 

 excessively energetic when their employer is present), 

 but he stands at ease until he feels himself refreshed, 



