72 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



reading it in newspapers, and having it 

 dropped jocularly by facetious politicians 

 who were boring him for an office, about 

 twenty-five times a day, say for a month, it 

 would get to running through his head, like 

 the " shoo-fly " song which B tl r sings 

 in the House, until it did seem as if he 

 should go distracted. He said no man 

 could stand that kind of sentence hammering 

 on his brain for years. 



The President was so much pleased with 

 my management of the garden that he of- 

 fered me (at least, I so understood him) the 

 position of head gardener at the White 

 House, to have care of the exotics. I told 

 him that I thanked him, but that I did not 

 desire any foreign appointment. I had re- 

 solved, when the administration came in, not 

 to take an appointment ; and I had kept my 

 resolution. As to any home office, I was 

 poor, but honest ; and of course it would be 

 useless for me to take one. The President 

 mused a moment, and then smiled, and said 

 he would see what could be done for me 



