25 



THE FLORAL DEPARTMENT. 



The mild autumnal breezes flitted among the branches, and 

 scattered the many-hued leaves by my window, when a fairy- 

 like elf lifted the casement and lighted upon the ink well on 

 the table. He was dressed in a suit of Lincoln green, a large 

 palm leaf tilted on one side of his head, a huge sunflower in 

 his button hole, and lady slippers upon his tiny feet. Poising 

 himself in an exquisite attitude, he slipped a cigar blossom 

 from his rosebud lips, and holding it between his fingers 

 winked his pansy eye at me, and remarked : " I was down at 

 iihe Marshfield Agricultural Fair a month or two ago ! " 



" Indeed," I replied ; " and what did you see ? " 



" What did I see? Well, if yoa will give me your attention 

 a few moments, I'll try to tell you." 



" Well," he continued, " you see a band of us fellows thought 

 we'd take the whole thing in this year, do the work systemati- 

 cally and see if everything was all right. We started early, in 

 order to get ahead of the reporters, who are sure to be on 

 hand on such occasions, and dividing the field they gave me 

 the Floral Department. 



Slipping a quill out of the quiver of one of our company, I 

 proceeded, in a most matter of fact way, to take notes. The 

 display was just magnificent ! " The very best," I heard the 

 committee say, " in design and merit exhibited for a number 

 of years." I first noticed, arithmetically, that there were forty 

 contributors from five cfiflferent towns ! 



First among the display was the design of Mr. Alfred 

 Phillips, of Marshfield. This occupied a table five feet wide 

 and fifteen in length, iu the centre aisle of the hall, near the 

 head of this department. It pictured " The Old Oaken Bucket 

 that Hung in the Well." The well was made of gold-colored 

 marigolds, with a drippiug bucket of the same material. The 

 staves were lined off with velvet marigolds, and downy purple 



