132 What is Dirt? 



army to convert dirt — effete, malarious, fever -breeding matter — into 

 living organism is great beyond all conception. 



The mistress, in making war upon the flies, smelt something unlike the 

 odor of flowers. 



" That which we call a rose, 

 By any other name would sroell as sweet," 



Would it? Here is a vase of them. Do they smell sweet ? Nay; or 

 else why these words ? — "I do wonder what that girl has got in this vase 

 that smells so ! Rank as manure. Why, 'tis manure, I do believe ! What 

 in the world has she brought it into this room for ? 'Phalia, come here." 



Enter Nymphalia ; takes a sniff, and turns up her pretty nose, and pouts 

 a rosy lip. 



" My dear, what does it mean ? What experiment in horticulture are 

 you trying now ? What did you bring the dirty mess in here for ? " 



" Oh ! it was not I. It must be one of grandpa's jokes. Is he in the 

 library .? Let us call him and see. Yes : here he is. Now, what have you 

 brought in this dirt for ? " 



" Dirt .'' You surprise me. That is a most beautiful bouquet. Here in the 

 centre is a white camellia. It is surrounded by a circle of the most lovely 

 small roses. Here is a circle made up of a great variety of colors, — 

 crimson, pink, blue, yellow, red, purple, white. Outside is another circle 

 of roses. They and their odor predominate. This is the clean white 

 paper with a gilt border." 



" O grandpa ! is that my bouquet ? And has it come to this ? — a mass 

 of fetid black dirt, which would soil every thing that it touched. Oh, what 

 a lesson I have learned ! I shall never forget it, I am sure." 



" It is not yet finished. Plant in this dirt a hyacinth-bulb, and, before 

 spring, you will reconvert it into other flowers." 



" But that would grow and bloom in nothing but water. The bulb 

 contains the nutriment." 



" True, except what it gains from air and water. Well, then, plant in 

 this dirt — in this bunch of flowers — a little carrot-seed (the tops are 

 really pretty winter ornaments), and you will convert this odorous dirt into 

 wholesome food. Or you may plant some grains of buckwheat, and they 

 will grow, and give you white blossoms that will attract the bees the first 



