254 A BOOK ABOUT THE GARDEN. 



sweets, alcohol, or tobacco, or when their banker takes 

 the liberty of directing their attention to the present 

 state of their account. His life is a prolonged growl. 

 He does a great deal of very good work, but when 

 you praise he snorts at it. If you try to soothe, to 

 ingratiate yourself, by joining in his moans and 

 groans, he will snarl and snap at you like a huge 

 surly retriever of my acquaintance, who, when some 

 young friends of his master returned without their 

 host late from a ball, declined to let them come near 

 the door, and the more they coaxed and addressed 

 him in terms of endearment, " Oh, Tip, you know 

 me, Tip ; there's a good Tippy," the more he showed 

 his long white teeth in the moonlight and got himself 

 into position for a spring. 



Perhaps there might be fewer examples of these 

 objectionable types if they who have gardens knew 

 more about them, but this is one of those Garden 

 Thoughts which suggests a series. 



