GARDEN OF A COMMUTER'S WIFE 27 



classes may have a distinct yearning to grow flowers, 

 fruits, and vegetables, and yet from the causes 

 named are unable to assume the joyful responsi- 

 bility of so doing. 



On the other hand, it is not needful personally to 

 wield the spade that turns the soil, or trundle the bar- 

 row that carries the manure. Well-directed brute 

 force does this far more admirably, and digging and 

 dragging make one's pen hand, or thimble finger 

 (according to sex and employment) wretchedly stiff, 

 besides causing a wicked extravagance in the matter 

 of shoes and laundry work. But if one fails to per- 

 vade the planting and training with individuality, 

 then is that garden like the proverbial egg without 

 salt ; and of such overdone, underdone, tasteless 

 embryos there are plenty, and it is not people's 

 fault if there are not more. It is merely because it 

 is difficult to force nature into ungraceful attitudes 

 or inharmonious colourings. 



" I haven't seen anything like this for years. I've 

 told Tomkins to plant fragrant things, but he says 

 lemon verbena isn't used now, and mignonette makes 

 the border lines uneven, but it doesn't do to thwart 

 one's gardener, you know," was the plaint of Mrs. 

 Jenks-Smith, one of the summer colony on the bluff, 

 when, upon her going into my garden after a profes- 



