I always remember how I used to resent such 

 an intrusion upon my esthetic conviction as a 

 remark that my little children were beautiful. 

 That such an observation should be made to me 

 who felt their loveliness far deeper than any casual 

 comer possibly could, seemed to me like an insult 

 to my intelligence and an outrage upon my most 

 hallowed perceptions. No doubt others experi- 

 ence like sensations in similar circumstances, and 

 this being the case, we may derive therefrom the 

 moral that it is desirable to exercise great circum- 

 spection in our approach, even in commendation, 

 upon whatever may appertain to the intimate spir- 

 itual domain of others. 



I am afraid if I had put my thoughts into words 

 under the provocation to which I have alluded, 

 they might have taken some such form as : " You 

 idiot ! Do you think I do not feel what you only 

 see ? " This may sound very ungraceful and un- 

 gracious; but one's thoughts are not under the 

 same control as their expression. 



In the autumn I planted a wistaria against the 

 stem of a tall ash and another one by itself in the 

 paddock, where I want to see if I can train it into 

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