COMMUTER'S WIFE 143 



speed, that your children may be born with the 

 love of outdoors in them. 



At present there is a lull in our garden opera- 

 tions, and the soothing haze of burning leaves 

 hides the bare outlines of the new beds around 

 the sundial. The violet plants that are to yield 

 Evan's buttonhole flowers all winter are comfort- 

 ably settled in the frames in the sunny corner 

 between stable and bank. An ordinary frame, 

 with three sashes, such as we use for seeds in 

 spring, will hold a hundred violet plants, and these, 

 if carefully protected by mats from freezing, and 

 well sunned to encourage bloom and keep out 

 mould, will furnish my commuter with his daily 

 flower until the out-door violets come in bloom, 

 besides giving his wife many a handful of fra- 

 grance to put in the iridescent glass vase that 

 stands on her desk-top for the harbouring of lov- 

 able flowers. 



We bought the violet plants this year, but next 

 season we shall grow our stock. The lilies-of-the- 

 valley have spread wonderfully in my absence, and 

 must have a thorough weeding and be thinned by 

 having six-inch trenches cut through them before 

 they are bedded with manure for the winter. We 

 have always had glorious lilies because, in the face 



