Keeping One's Place 



sostegia, foxglove chimes and canterbury-bells. 

 And were there not platycodons and veronicas 

 to bind these soberly to earth? Let's see what 

 we could do with preaching against a chancel of 

 green leaves. 



There was no doubt that here it felt the call. 

 But before the benedictions fell, before I had 

 completed my novitiate, it had turned foreign 

 missionary. Restive at its cincture, it was off 

 unsmocked, itinerant to proselyte among the 

 neighboring fields. The great thing now was a 

 revival meeting in that open plot of ground be- 

 hind the house. Let's sing lustily all the old 

 favorites, morning bride and mignonette, mari- 

 gold and candytuft. They went better with lay 

 sermons since they had a rousing burden to their 

 chorus and gave a message to take home. What's 

 more they were popular, they drew a crowd. 



Not long thereafter rumors of eloquence be- 

 gan to go abroad. My garden has now its steady 

 congregation, its increasing band of converts. 

 Pilgrims even seek it from afar. Moreover, 

 since they do not recognize a formal time for 

 service, they drop in upon it at all hours. And 



[75] 



