OR, HOW I BECAME A FLOEIST. 37 



was. Delighted to find myself so well furnished for my 

 new profession, I locked the door and put the key in my 

 pocket, determined that if people wished to borrow they 

 must come to me first. 



Wandering out to the garden again, I walked along till 

 I came to the bed of mignonnette I had planted the week be- 

 fore. To my delight, I found the ground entirely covered 

 with the young plants just breaking through the soil. They 

 were very thick, and formed a perfect mat over the whole 

 surface. But is this right ? Should they be so thick ? Turn- 

 ing towards the house, I went into the sitting-room, and, 

 taking up the book I had thrown down in such disgust a 

 short time before, began to search through the index for 

 mignonnette. 



There was not a word about it. Finding a chapter on 

 " The Garden," I looked that through, but though I found 

 plenty of information on various other matters of impor- 

 tance, there was nothing in regard to mignonnette. Under 

 the head of " Hardy Annuals " I found something about it, 

 but nothing to help me. However, I found on the next 

 page these words: "If the plants come up very 

 thick, thin out the weakest ; you will thus give room for 

 the others, and secure a larger and a better bloom." Shut- 

 ing the book, I prepared to put the information to immediate 

 use. But it was too late. Going to the door, I found the 

 twilight just fading away, and darkness prevented further 

 efforts that day. 



