i io Hardy Plants for Cottage Gardens 



dling, if lilies reappeared as capricious spoiled darlings of 

 fortune? Even as lilies, they toil not, neither do they spin, 

 and what can we expect, when, from the first, the moral edu- 

 cation is neglected ? 



Certain plants are of singularly frail constitution, and 

 though they may buffet the storms of life for a while they 

 take cold easily, and all is over with them. I had a Spirea 

 astilbe, that survived two winters, and was progressing to 

 beautiful planthood. One spring night when Astilbe, 



" was in thought 

 To brave its blossoms to the air," 



an unusual frost overtook it. At first I thought it but a 

 severe cold, and that a little doctoring would restore health; 

 but it grew steadily weaker, and by another winter "it was 

 laid away," to use the pious euphemism for plain dying. The 

 feverfew also has weak lungs and is sadly afflicted by a frosty 

 spring night. It develops an irritating cough in the form of 

 leaves that turn brown in a single night, which it perversely 

 carries about with it long after it begins to flower, as if to 

 remind you of your neglect. 



It always interested me to note the cold-blooded attitude 

 of political economists in the matter of the death of the indi- 

 vidual, who had been reared to an age of self-support, and 

 then thwarted the best interests of the commonwealth by 

 carelessly dying. Their statistics make no mention of what 

 that loss is to the father's heart, nor of the mother's tears: 

 that death, or any death, before the individual earns enough 

 to make full return for his keep, is so much needless loss to 

 the State. If economists had their way, all persons at the 

 age of four years would be compelled to give bond to live 

 until fifty at least, or make a heavy restitution. I am com- 

 pelled to take this same view of my plants, when, forgetful 



