A BLESSED RESOURCE 3 



walk before lunch, as I should like to, or of 

 running out on my ten toes, to do a little shopping 

 at any hour of the day I wish. I contrive though 

 to exist with as little as possible of the latter just 

 now. At this time of year shopping in the day- 

 time only entails weariness and discomfort for me, 

 and possible sunstroke for the horses, so the 

 garden is a blessed resource, during these six bad 

 months of hot weather. Besides the pleasure it is 

 to me personally, it is good for the whole establish- 

 ment, to have some one always available, seeing 

 that untidy places are made pleasant to look 

 at, paths weeded, stones removed, unsightliness 

 beautified, and rampant waste and damage checked. 

 A garden loses half its beauty unless kept tidy, 

 and in this country deterioration very quickly 

 sets in. 



These men, too, never can work properly unless 

 under an overseer. It is their custom to labour 

 with their hands only ; some one else must supply 

 the brains, and guide the fingers. Generally, the 

 knowledge we exiles possess of the language is too 

 limited to enable us to give intelligible orders, so 

 we have to stand by and watch e^ch cletail of 



