12 



My Garden Summer-Seat. 



urge that there is an air of irony in my finishing touch, 

 since the droseras would prove the enemies of many 

 minute insects which I profess to have a sneaking 

 regard for; and certainly there is some truth in this, 

 which just shows that in this style of gardening, as 



in art, too great 

 an aim at com- 

 pleteness may 

 lead to the in- 

 trusion of 



elements that 

 are more or less 

 destructive of the 

 first fresh ideal. 

 But then there is 

 still a good deal 

 of doubt about 

 some points in the 

 manner in which 

 the droseras pro- 

 pagate them- 

 selves ; and thus 

 scientific curiosity, 

 even in my small 

 way, I must own, 

 comes into con- 

 flict with the 

 simple idea of 

 nature and life. 

 Alas, nature is 

 like Chronos of old, and apt to eat up her own chil- 

 dren by the aid of her other children, and thus the 

 sweet idyllic element will not long remain intact, 

 however much we may strive to maintain it. 



SUNDEW {Drosera rotundifolia). 



