THE COUNTRY HOME [CHAPTER 
said Howd’y do to the dandelions. I hugged a big 
mullen stalk, and just thanked it for coming up near 
the door. Husband smiled, and bought me holly- 
hock seed; and he let me help him plant corn. It 
was a full year before I could settle down to making 
much difference between weeds ‘and useful things. 
I think still that some of the weeds are the hand- 
somest things in the world, and they must be use- 
ful somehow, only we don’t yet know how. I 
had to make a difference, because I found that the 
beets and carrots could not be grown without being 
‘weeded.’ Now I have some pinks and roses, and 
a big clump of tiger lilies, and I have some lilacs 
and syringas. But I still think the big thing is not 
to go gallivanting all over creation to find rare 
things and make your place stylish, but to be able 
to see the sweet things right at home. So I have 
been collecting out of our woods and swamps, and 
have, oh, such a lot of fine things — ferns and 
leatherwood, and witch hazel, and gentian and 
lobelia, two beautiful orchids, seven kinds of 
mint, and I thought you would understand me, 
so I have written to you. I have no one who 
quite understands me here, but my husband looks 
on with sympathy and good nature.” 
[316] 
