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consciously, from the suggestion of embrasure and em- 

 bankment, garden and terrace to open country and the 

 heart of nature. Beyond, the puffy trees roll the smoke 

 of the woods, and, as you gaze, you lose the pomp and 

 stateliness of all this surrounding architecture of wall 

 and staircase, and melt away into the serene reverie 

 that steals over the soul in the contemplation of the 

 face of Nature. And if this was the aim of the archi- 

 tect who planned this noble Terrace, how truly did he 

 succeed ! 



And now let us see some of the beautiful things 

 gathered here with so much taste and judgment. We 

 will begin our ramble at the easterly corner of the 

 Terrace and follow the Walk that enfolds the easterly 

 side of the Terrace, like an arm. The wall here has 

 five large "posts," which will serve well for landmarks 

 in placing the things we pass. Close by the first post 

 (the one in the corner) is American arbor vitae, with 

 flat leaf sprays, very aromatic when rubbed with the 

 fingers. By the second post is a sprawling mass of 

 Chinese Wistaria, and off a little to the northeast of 

 this is the beautiful Pinxter (or Pinkster) flower which 

 blooms before its leaves appear, whence the name nudi- 

 flora. This is in April, usually, and the flowers are 

 of a lovely rose color, in terminal umbels. The flower 

 stems and the funnel-form corollas are very hairy. The 

 leaves are alternate and crowded at the ends of the 

 branches ; are oblong in shape and acute at both ends. 

 Their margins are very beautiful, under the glass, 

 fringed with the most delicate tiny little hairs. Just 

 back of this Pinxter flower, to the southeast, is Cau- 



