WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 59 



cedents. It will be well for the council, 

 however, not to publish the bull either just 

 before or just after a rain ; for nothing can 

 kill this pestilent heresy when the ground is 

 wet. 



It is the time of festivals. Polly says we 

 ought to have one, a strawberry-festival. 

 She says they are perfectly delightful : it is 

 so nice to get people together ! this hot 

 weather. They create such a good feeling ! 

 I myself am very fond of festivals. I al- 

 ways go, when I can consistently. Be- ' 

 sides the strawberries, there are ice-creams 

 and cake and lemonade, and that sort of 

 thing : and one always feels so well the next 

 day after such a diet ! But as social reun- 

 ions, if there are good things to eat, nothing 

 can be pleasanter ; and they are very profit- 

 able, if you have a good object. I agreed 

 that we ought to have a festival ; but I did 

 not know what object to devote it to. We 

 are not in need of an organ, nor of any pul- 

 pit-cushions. I do not know that they use 

 pulpit-cushions now as much as they used to, 



