Too Muck of a Good Thing 209 



listening to the blackbird his own blackbird, 

 that meant to be his cherished guest all that spring 

 and summer- to the singing of a skylark high 

 above the allotment field, and to the distant 

 murmur of the rooks. The garden was in dis- 

 order what delicious work there would be in it ! 

 fruit-trees to prune, vegetables to plant, a big 

 strawberry bed to tend, borders to make gay. 

 All this he would fain have done himself, even 

 though he knew as little of gardening as he did 

 of Hebrew ; why not learn to do it himself, make 

 mistakes and profit by them ? So he had written 

 to the friendly Parson of the village, who had 

 been looking after his interests for him ; but the 

 Parson would not hear of it. and he was despotic 

 in his own parish. He had decided that old 

 Joseph Bates was to start the work and direct the 

 Poet's enthusiasm into rational channels; and 

 after breakfast Joseph and the Poet were to meet 

 " A worthy old man," the Parson had written ; 

 44 you can't do better than give him a little employ- 

 ment ; if he gives you any trouble, send for me 

 and 111 settle him." 



So after breakfast a delicious one it w;is, that 



p 



