94 AN ISLAND GARDEN 



swiftly flying summers here at the Isles of Shoals. 

 This room is made first for music ; on the polished 

 floor is no carpet to mufBe sound, only a few rugs 

 here and there, like patches of warm green moss 

 on the pine-needle color given by the polish to 

 the natural hue of the wood. There are no heavy 

 draperies to muffle the windows, nothing to ab- 

 sorb the sound. The piano stands midway at 

 one side; there are couches, sofas with pillows 

 of many shades of dull, rich color, but mostly of 

 warm shades of green. There are low bookcases 

 round the walls, the books screened by short cur- 

 tains of pleasant olive-green ; the high walls to 

 the ceiling are covered with pictures, and flowers 

 are everywhere. The shelves of the tall mantel 

 are splendid with massed Nasturtiums like a blaz- 

 ing torch, beginning with the palest yellow, almost 

 white, and piled through every deepening shade 

 of gold, orange, scarlet, crimson, to the blackest 

 red ; all along the tops of the low bookcases burn 

 the fires of Marigolds, Coreopsis, large flowers of 

 the velvet single Dahlias in yellow, flame, and 

 scarlet of many shades, masses of pure gold sum- 

 mer Chrysanthemums, and many more, all here 

 and there interspersed with blossoming grasses 

 for a touch of ethereal green. On one low book- 

 case are Shirley Poppies in a roseate cloud. And 

 here let me say that the secret of keeping Poppies 

 in the house two whole days without fading is 

 this : they must be gathered early, before the dew 

 has dried, in the morning. I go forth between 

 five and six o'clock to cut them while yet their 

 gray-green leaves are hoary with dew, taking a tall 



