INTRODUCTION 



world ; to feel one of the great permanent satisfac- 

 tions of life the thrill of work well done. 



It was the soil and the sky and the rain which 

 painted the lily, but it was the lily that colored 

 Hope's cheeks. It was nature that made the cu- 

 cumber grow, but it was the raising of the cucum- 

 ber which helped Loring to be sturdy and self-re- 

 liant. It was rows and their distance apart that 

 made the dahlias do their best, but it was the laying 

 out of the rows that made Eleanor understand her 

 arithmetic. It was nitrogen that the peas gave to 

 the earth, but it was peas that gave to Loring the 

 real meaning of chemistry. It was iris that made 

 the bowl of flowers possible, but it was iris that 

 made Eleanor, who arranged them, know color 

 composition and good taste. Legumes gave to 

 Loring but another plant classification, but plant 

 classifications gave to Loring a larger vocabulary. 

 But why go on you see the point. No one ought 

 to question me when I say that the Fullertons did 

 not make the garden that the garden literally 

 made the Fullertons healthful and happy, resource- 

 ful and reverent. 



Yes, land is holy and the activities of child-life 

 are hallowed and there is a relationship and a sig- 



xviii 



