OUR COUNTRY LIFE 



calliopsis, coreopsis and gladioli in great variety of 

 bloom, follow each other in their seasons. 



My life is really a series of Christmas Days. Each 

 morning when I come in from my outdoor nest I won- 

 der what new joy this dawn will bring. I glance at 

 the desk to see if by chance a friendly letter has ar- 

 rived, then if my dream comes true, I curl up on the 

 chaise longue to read it at once. Is there a package? 

 Perhaps the return of a botanical specimen with its 

 proper name carefully explained by an expert of the 

 University; perhaps only a needed supply of buttons 

 from the, at times, convenient city; perhaps a book 

 ordered so long ago that it has been forgotten, or pos- 

 sibly an offering from some compassionate relative, 

 such as an adorable sunbonnet which unfolded in my 

 hands the other day. I have never gotten over the 

 childish joy of opening bundles; it remains like my 

 taste for fairy tales. The morning that thrilling 

 envelope arrives containing my recent exposures! 

 Only the soul of a photographer can appreciate the feel- 

 ings with which I unseal it and examine one by one, in 



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