144 THE OUTDOOR GARDEN 



throw the coke in, I hear a somewhat mirthful 

 sound come from his lips. " That will never do," 

 says the elder student. " You must stand directly 

 in front of it and put it in quickly with a sort of 

 swing and thrust." Gradually they learn the art, 

 but there are many points besides to be mastered, 

 for there is much to remember about the " damper," 

 that mysterious and ever-puzzling assistant to a 

 boiler. Then, too, they must judge by a touch of 

 the hand upon the pipes if heat is really as it 

 should be. 



During one of the evenings in late January, this 

 year, a very sudden official order was issued to 

 the effect that between the hours of 5.30 p.m. 

 and 7.30 a.m. no lights were allowed to be seen. 

 It was very stringent, for heavy penalties were 

 threatened if curtains and shutters did not abso- 

 lutely conceal all light within our houses, and no 

 lamps were allowed to be carried outside. My 

 maids brought the news from the darkened country 

 town near by. 



The brookland valley here is always a favourite 

 haunt of aircraft, but in spite of this, we none of 

 us believed that Zeppelins were on their way. 

 Nevertheless, all were filled with a strong desire to 

 carry out military orders and thus tease the enemy 

 by concealing all landmarks from him if he should 

 venture so far. Heavy disused curtains, travelling 

 rugs, thick brown paper and Hessian canvas were 

 at once seized upon and hung up so that every chink 

 of light should be hidden. 



It is astonishing how persistently light will 

 show through cracks of doors ! I discovered this, 



