'In winter, when the dismal rain 



Comes down in slanting lines, 

 And Wind, that grand old harper, smote 



His thunder-harp of pines." 



— A Life Drama — Alexander Smith. 



CHAPTER XI 



The Use and Abuse of Evergreens 



WITH the desire to maintain cheer of living 

 green around the home during the winter 

 I wish to say at once that I sympathize wholly, 

 inasmuch as I shall appear to be, for a little at 

 least, opposed to what very evidently seems to 

 great numbers of people the only way of secur- 

 ing what they want. Bear with me however, 

 and let us see if there are not better ways than 

 the common practice of misusing infant ever- 

 greens, to this end. 



For that is all that the most of the small ever- 

 greens we see used in massing around buildings, 

 are — small because young and not grown. And 

 they are not, of course, shrubs, though some per- 

 sons call them shrubs when urging that they be 

 grouped against the foundations of a building 

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