134 JULY 



and there repotted 132 plants; three kinds of 

 Adiantum, four kinds of Marantas and six other 

 kinds of ferns. Very much astonished looked Mr 

 Mahgun, the latest acquisition to the establishment, 

 adopted by reason of his rose-budding propensities. 

 The rain had ceased, and he appeared in a blame- 

 less jacket of snow-white calico, looking clean and 

 respectable ; while I, between heat, and rain, and 

 mud, felt indescribably woe-begone. 



Mahgun said, "If your highness will tell me 

 which plants you need, I will pot them." 



"Not so, my friend," I said to myself. "You 

 may know how to bud roses, but you do not know 

 how to grow ferns." 



Two days after, these ferns had delicate yellow 

 curls standing up from the old roots, the new 

 fronds already. 



" Let us now be up and doing," I told myself. 

 " This month must see them finished, absolutely, 

 so that they may get August and September rain 

 and growth." So every day there was " no com- 

 pulsion," except " must," in turning up sleeves and 

 keeping at it, to the exclusion of every other idea. 

 The boy and I have entirely replanted the Portico 



