12 THE GARDEN OF A 



of never reasoning with the unreasonable, and Aunt 

 Lot surely belonged to the latter class, even allowing 

 for her little kindnesses that were set edgewise like 

 thin streaks of lean in overwhelmingly fat bacon. 



In fact, her very name came from her habit of 

 looking backward instead of forward at all the turn- 

 ing-points of her life and thus missing her best 

 chances, until father had so often quoted " Re- 

 member Lot's wife " to her, that unconsciously she 

 became Aunt Lot to us, though outsiders to this day 

 think her name Charlotte. 



My book-shelves also shared in the spoils, and 

 each winter saw me more keen for the hunting. In 

 summer I almost forgot books. What need was 

 there for them when I had all outdoors around and 

 above and below me, everything belonging to me 

 through the sight, and telling its own story without 

 the chilly intervention of print? All outdoors and 

 father to take me everywhere! 



Said the Marquis of Carrabas to Puss in Boots, 

 upon one of the rare occasions when he offered any 

 advice : " We have but little money, but as long as 

 we use our eyes faithfully, everything that they see 

 under the sky is ours." In this way Puss grew up 



