MIDSUMMER 205 



It better because it blooms earlier. The Fernleaf 

 Foxglove waits until August to open, but here you 

 see the Downy False one is in bloom while it's 

 still July." 



" How bright it makes the woods look," I said. 

 Except Black Cohosh there was not another flower 

 near. 



" Nobody knows just why it's called Foxglove," 

 Tommy said; "but father thinks the name was 

 once Folk's-glove, because its other names have 

 been Fairies' Petticoats, or Fairies'-gloves." 



" I believe it's one of the very plants the mis- 

 chievous fairy used to tease," I said; " the fairy 

 in Francis's ghost story." 



" If it is," Tommy answered, " it doesn't make 

 much difference now. It looks just the same as it 

 did last year and the year before." 



We took a stalk home with a few flowers on and 

 several buds. The flowers dropped off on the way, 

 and the buds looked as though they might surprise 

 us any minute by opening. 



" They'll be beautiful flowers to-morrow, if you 

 keep them in water," Tommy told me. 



" So Foxglove is out," Grandmother said, when 

 she saw what we had. " Let us enjoy each day 

 then as much as we can, for the autumn will soon 

 be marching down on us with a great army of 

 flowers, and after that we must wave our handker- 

 chiefs to summer." 



" Why does that make you sad, Grandmother? " 



