88 A BOOK ABOUT THE GAEDEN. 



prettily ? Ask him, and he will look up with a smile 

 at the Curate, who is even now suggesting to him 

 how he might have made some little improvements ; 

 and if you would know furthermore how and when 

 the lesson is learned, ask the Curate, as I have asked, 

 and you will hear his system. 



On Sunday evenings, in the summer-time, some 

 twenty boys from the village school assemble, when 

 the weather is fine, at his Reverence's garden-gate. 

 They have been good lads in church and school, or 

 they would not be there ; and as our ecclesiastical 

 Spade conies out, with some books on wild flowers in 

 his hand, little blue-eyed Joe Birley plucks him by 

 the coat, and whispers proudly into an ear very 

 promptly inclined to receive the information, " If you 

 please, sir, I said all that big cholic " (collect for the 

 day intended) " to Miss Eose, and never made no 

 mistake." Whereupon Joseph is permitted to carry 

 one of the volumes for reference, a dignity esteemed 

 in that boy brigade as highly as the Victoria Cross by 

 a soldier ; and off they go for the fields. At the first 

 stile, which leads to the inclosures, there is a halt 

 for choosing sides, the Curate nominating two of the 

 most experienced artists as leaders, and these electing 

 their forces alternately. Then the subordinates 

 receive from their commanding officer their special 

 orders and instructions : some are to remain with 

 him to help in arranging ; these are to gather white 

 flowers, those pink, and so on; while others must bring 

 " totter-grass," fern, or variegated leaf, to complete 

 the outer circle of the collection. 



Each company has a librarian, whose office it is to 



