MY FARM OF EDGEWOOD 



KNOWING TOO MUCH 



I SOMETIMES see in the papers, advertisements 

 of gardeners, who can be seen at Thorburn's in 

 John Street, on stated mornings, when they 

 hold their levee, who insist upon "entire con- 

 trol." A modest man, going among them, 

 and entreating the services of one at forty 

 dollars a month, and "boord," feels very much 

 as if he were hiring himself to him in some 

 subordinate capacity, — with the privilege of 

 occasionally sniffing the perfume through the 

 open doors of the green-house. There may be 

 those country-lovers who enjoy this state of 

 dependence upon the superior authority of a 

 gardener; but I do not care to be counted 

 among them. I have too large an acquaintance 

 among the sufferers. M , an amiable gen- 

 tleman, and a friend of mine, and an extreme 

 lover of flowers, dared no more to pick a rose 

 without permission of "Wallace," than he dares 

 to be caught reading an unpopular journal. 

 "Wallace" is instructed; but in the assertion 

 of his authority, — impudent. And when at 

 last my friend summoned resolution to dismiss 

 him, there came a dray to the back-entrance, 

 which was presently loaded down with the 



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