Robin Hood's Barn 



Surely I might keep a step ahead if they could 

 keep a page. Unfortunately I depended on the 

 limitations of mere himian energy. I did not re- 

 alize that natural energy proceeds by leaps and 

 bounds. Before I had grown glib on "yellows," 

 their height, their habit, and their time of bloom, 

 the place had started off on its own explorations. 

 It did no good to murmur "papaver nudicaule" 

 and "rudbeckia." It was not going to stop for 

 Latin names. There they were, the plants, their 

 former pertness now transformed to joyousness 

 behind a springing hedge. AU right in their way. 

 But what it wanted was a harder problem. Well, 

 what next? 



As I faltered it came forward with its own 

 suggestion. It had chanced upon its real voca- 

 tion. Unknown to me it had been reaching out. 

 And really I had no idea how well those seedlings 

 looked against the grape-vine arbor enclosing 

 the north walk. They weren't right for it of 

 course. They spoke too humbly. It was just 

 that fact that had given it the clew. This was a 

 spot for loftiness and piety, for spires of delphin- 

 ixxm and hollyhocks, slim tapers of white phy- 



[74] 



