WAITING FOR THE SWEET PEAS 69 



"Sometimes, it seems, they think better," said he. 

 "If you were all alone and very hungry, would you 

 know that some one had left a basket with lunch 

 away off at the corner of the street, behind the fence, 

 where you could not see it ? Would you know to go 

 straight to it with your eyes shut ? If you were very 

 thirsty, would you know that the brook at the foot 

 of the hill was dry, but that there was water in the 

 well yonder? No ; you would have to go look. But 

 a tree would know ; a bee would know also. That is 

 what we call instinct. When these trees or flowers 

 or insects do something we cannot do and cannot 

 understand, we call it instinct. 



"I/iebchen, the more you live with plants, the more 

 you have not only the love for the dear people but 

 the great respect for their understanding." 



"Then I won't look for the sweet peas till the 

 leaves peek out," said the under-gardener, in an awed 

 tone. 



"I think the little ladies like it better if we do not 

 disturb them until they are dressed and ready to 

 come out." 



He rose from his seat and went into the greenhouse. 

 "I give my roses a little air," he said ; "they have 

 now enough tobacco. 



