o \ c L r s i o 



and it too was stained a lovely soft brown. I cannot *eH that 

 this will entice these particular birds, hut it certainly satisfies the 

 artistic sense of those most concerned. 



I have heard it said that if you ,,ut into your country place 

 every penny you can spare, vou are a horticulturist; I,,,, if V(MI 

 make it pay you attain to the dimity of ., farmer. There may be 

 differences of opinion about the form of -pay." I am afraid uv 

 resemble the countryman who was asked by his friend: 



" Why did ye set out all them catalpa trees ? They won't pa v 

 nothinV 



"Why, neighbor;' he replied, " I git mv money back every day 

 a-lookin' on 'em. " 



So we take the utmost satisfaction in j us t " lookin' on" our 

 weeds and wild flowers, our shrubs and forest tree-,. 



It does not seem possible that one can hear in the early spring- 

 time the ho;ik-hi)nk of the wild geese and watch their curious 

 V-shaped flight without a longing to follow them into the wild, to 

 feel the sweet-smelling earth under one's feet again, and to watch 

 the awakening of all living things from their wintrv dreams. 



"Yes," some practical soul may perhaps say, "that is all vcrv 

 beguiling if we only lived like the birds, carrying our belongi?igs 

 on our backs and finding a shelter wherever we chose to stop. " 

 Truly, I think the talk about the care of a country house is exag- 

 gerated. Care is, after all, entirely a matter of the individual. 

 Our grandmothers would doubtless have spent davs in covering 



