42 THE GARDEN OF A 



river for the sand, and when you return, call me, and 

 I will show you where to spread it." Instead, the 

 man, a Swedish youth, a hospital protege of father's, 

 who was of the class that had once potted endless 

 cuttings in a mechanical way while he thought of 

 everything else than his work, drove in by the lower 

 gate and scattered the sand over two strips that are 

 to be shrubberies, simply because, as he said, in 

 grudging explanation, he " thought nice beds of 

 tulips in stripes would look good dere, and be more 

 best dan vere you dink to put them." The bugle 

 call of revolt has sounded, but in a novel and unusual 

 way ; the commuter's wife arises mentally against the 

 "gardener," instead of vice versa, and his downfall 

 will be swift. 



It took the rest of the day to sweep up the sand 

 and get another load. Meanwhile, Chris worked in 

 a huff, as if a deep affront had been put upon him. 



I could see by the hard, caked condition of the 

 soil in the old flower beds, by the long walk, and in 

 the vegetable garden generally, that it had not been 

 deeply and properly stirred all summer. But when I 

 asked him to fork up the ground thoroughly between 

 the roots of some of mother's hardy plants, he 

 replied : 



" It is not best. In my country we do not so. 



