130 THE GARDEN OF A 



is expected of it. I often wonder whether we gain 

 or lose by being civilized. It is so much less com- 

 plicated to be a savage. 



The next consideration was the location of the 

 sundial, for a hole must be dug and a rough founda- 

 tion of stones, rubble, and cement laid before it could 

 be set. 



Fortunately the strawberry bed had been care- 

 fully levelled in its youth ; the ashes used as a top 

 dressing, drawing white clover to fill the place of the 

 departed berries, promised very respectable turf, 

 that by a careful weeding out in spring and raking 

 in of fresh seed would serve quite well. After Evan 

 had driven the central stake Bertie set to work with 

 his shovel, advised and admonished by Tim, whose 

 dialect Scotch must have seemed a weird language 

 to his Danish ears. 



Meanwhile Evan and I strolled up and down the 

 long walk rather perplexed how to proceed, while 

 father surrounded by dogs watched us from his 

 seat under the tree, and the two extras stood at 

 " rest arms." 



The borders, about six feet in width, were a hope- 

 less jungle of hardy plants interspersed at intervals 



