COMMUTER'S WIFE 285 



tion, until he howled furiously and dashed at the 

 poles so desperately that they lurched away, uttering 

 unmistakable swear words. 



This is hollyhock week, and the forest of gayly 

 draped stalks flanks half the length of the long walk, 

 overflows the corner of the bank wall, and straggles 

 in a crowd toward the barn, where it forms a hollow 

 square about the chicken house. The hollyhock 

 disports all colours and tints, white, pink, cerise, 

 crimson, apricot, yellow, and blush, both with a 

 decided pink eye and a rosily diffused centre. 



Having been let alone for several years, the single 

 or half double flowers predominate, and I am quite 

 sure that I prefer them to the heavy double blossoms, 

 whose chief claim is their solidity of form and colour ; 

 otherwise they are nearer kin to the paper roses that 

 garnish Christmas mutton than to garden flowers. 



The phloxes that have massed themselves regard- 

 less of colour, are showing bloom, white, crimson, 

 white with crimson eye, and dull purple. Neither in 

 colour nor form are they as handsome as the young 

 plants we set out last October, among which many 

 new shades of cherry, salmon, and rose appear. 



Phloxes especially require frequent resetting, else 



