54 AN ISLAND GARDEN 



in the net over one a bird had wriggled its little 

 body, and pulled up and flung the plants to right 

 and left all over the steps. But my brother's long 

 rows, so green last night, were bare except for 

 broken stems and withering leaves. Alas, it is so 

 much trouble to cover such a large area with net- 

 ting, he thought this time he would trust to luck, 

 or Providence, or whatever one chooses to call it, 

 but it is a fatal thing to do. Now he has to 

 plant all over again, even though I shall share my 

 boxes with him, and it will make his garden very 

 late indeed. This time he will not fail to put 

 nets over all ! I sat on the piazza sheltered from 

 the rain and watched the birds. Unmindful of 

 the tempest, they skipped gayly round the garden, 

 over and round the steps, examined all the tucked 

 up boxes of Sweet Peas, wished they could get in, 

 but rinding it out of the question gave it up and 

 resigned themselves to the inevitable. To and 

 fro, here and there they went, peering into every 

 nook and corner, behind every leaf and stick and 

 board and stalk, busily pecking away and devour- 

 ing something with the greatest industry. I 

 drew nearer to discover what it could be, and to 

 my great joy found it was the slugs which the 

 rain had called forth from their hiding-places; 

 the birds were working the most comprehensive 

 slaughter among them. At that pleasing sight 

 I forgave them on the spot all their trespasses 

 against me. 



1 5th. A thick fog wrapped the world in dim- 

 ness early this morning ; at eight o'clock it was 

 rolling off and piling itself in glorious headlands 



