2 APRIL 



anywhere between 80 and 90 degrees (not above), 

 and most folks are shut indoors, behind windows 

 and shutters, trying to keep cool behold this 

 foolish person out in the garden under two 

 umbrellas, refreshing herself with a sight of the 

 flowers newly opened since yesterday, and devising 

 fresh plans and alterations, in that particular 

 portion of the premises that has been conceded to 

 her for her " very own." Here I can garden after 

 my own heart without any of my methods clashing 

 against those of the master of the household. The 

 Burra Sahib and the Ancient are very scientific 

 gardeners when, poor things, they have the time to 

 attend to it ; but I am a complete ignoramus, and 

 all I know is from experimenting. Therefore, I 

 fear, perhaps, my "notes" will not be very definite. 

 Some one has wittily said, " If you cannot be 

 definite, then you had better be dumb-in-it," but 

 gardening itself is such a very disconnected kind of 

 occupation, now here, now there, that one may be 

 forgiven for being discursive in writing of one's 

 everyday doings, especially in such heat! 



I have the whole livelong day to myself, now, 

 with no opportunity of taking a breezy four-mile 



