WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 87 



" James, I suppose." 



" "Well, yes, perhaps James did plant 

 them to a certain extent. But who hoed 

 them ? " 



" We did." 



" We did ! " I said in the most sarcastic 

 manner. "And I suppose we put on the 

 sackcloth and ashes, when the striped bug 

 came at four o'clock, A. M., and we watched 

 the tender leaves, and watered night and 

 morning the feeble plants. I tell you, Pol- 

 ly," said I, uncorking the Bordeaux rasp- 

 berry vinegar, " there is not a pea here that 

 does not represent a drop of moisture wrung 

 from my brow, not a beet that does not 

 stand for a backache, not a squash that has 

 not caused me untold anxiety, and I did 

 hope but I will say no more." 



Observation. In this sort of family dis- 

 cussion, " I will say no more " is the most 

 effective thing you can close up with. 



I am not an alarmist. I hope I am as 

 cool as anybody this hot summer. But I am 

 quite ready to say to Polly or any other 



