26 THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 



unless it be at eventide. The roses claim the 

 choicest perfume if the grape-vine puts not in 

 its plea ; flowers and shrubs insist on first atten- 

 tion, but the orchard will not take second place ; 

 the Lombards, tall and sentinel-like, old bache- 

 lors, demand the tree-prizes, but the White 

 Birches plead for it with such womanly grace, 

 and then the Elm is so stately and the Spruce is 

 so graceful and the Oak so rugged and the 

 Maple so tasteful — ah I who can award the 

 palm? Surely not in the garden, for things 

 are as sensitive as folks, and going about we 

 pet them all and whisper words of personal 

 cheer and all are happy and live in peace. 



It spices one's days to overcome difficulties. 

 Digging in early spring is a delight in every 

 way, later when it must be done and it is hot it 

 grows burdensome — but nothing comes of 

 nothing, no outgo no income, no seed no har- 

 vest, no hard weeding, no splendid growths. 

 iHow the flowers are beginning to bloom, the 

 sweet rains and warm days and extra care, and, 

 somehow, I feel, or fancy I feel, that some lit- 

 tle garden fairies have hovered over these beds 

 and waved their wands and uttered magic 

 words and forth the flowers came spontan- 

 eously. We have a carnival of flowers, and 

 our garden joy is as flush as pinks. The four* 



