THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 177 



of its architecture." But the maples are beauti- 

 ful and branchy and tasty and ever-great favor- 

 ites. The oaks have aspirations for age and 

 power. They have a compact solid manner of 

 growth and their dark rich leaves are ruggedly 

 cut ; yet they are highly prized. 



Yonder at our right is a group of white 

 birches, the "Ladies of the Forest," most grace- 

 ful and artistic in shape and look, yet resdess 

 and shordived and seem eager to be gone. 

 1 Here on the north side of the house is a row 

 of seven Lombards standing like solemn senti- 

 nels ever on watchful guard, grand old trees, 

 and always grand in effect, though the canons 

 of gardening say that its formality is inappro- 

 priate in naturalistic landscape; — canons be 

 hanged, to us they are cathedral in character, 

 distinctly architectonic, exclamation points, 

 they fit in our garden scheme because at that 

 point accentuation was needed and they accen- 

 tuate 1 



Blessed be the trees and blessed be the man 

 or woman, who, beneath their gracious shade 

 and friendly influence, finds rest and takes on 

 new courage to go again into life more strongly 

 equipped for the gentler duties. 



