THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE YEAR 221 



is almost tempted to believe that a true garden- 

 lover never grows old, or rather, perhaps, never 

 loses touch altogether with the joy of living. 

 Surely, amongst the many blessings of the home 

 in the garden, this may be reckoned one of the 

 chiefest and best that when the cup of life is 

 emptied of its fulness, and cares and sorrows have 

 tinctured its dregs with bitterness, it will yet yield 

 an anodyne which will not only soothe, but uplift 

 the faltering spirit and cheer the waning hours. 



Above a garden gate a Latin inscription is carved 

 in stone, and the interpretation of the legend is 

 this: 



" THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD GOD 

 WALKING IN THE GARDEN." 



It may be that while physical powers waste away 

 under the burden of years, aging eyes are opened 

 to read more clearly the divine parables of Nature, 

 that the ears which are growing duller to earthly 

 music are attuned to hear, above the murmur of 

 distracting echoes of Time, a still, small voice. 

 To every whisper of the wind that stirs the opening 

 leaves it utters some message of loving Providence. 

 By every floweret that raises its sweet face once 

 more to the light of day after its winter's sleep 

 it teaches some lesson of sure and certain hope of 

 the new life of glad service to come. 



Do we do wrong to believe that the garden, 

 which holds within it so much that is divine, is 

 intended to convey to our finite senses some faint 

 foreshadowing on earth of work and rest and peace 

 in the Paradise of God? 



