A GARDEN DIARY 49 
occurrences as these that produce that extra- 
ordinary thirst for order, that very unlooked-for 
passion for tidiness, which I just now noted. 
After a day or two passed in such struggles as 
these one begins to understand the pride of the 
colonist in pure, speckless Ugliness; in beauti- 
fully clean, naked earth, varied by straight lines 
of split-wood fences, or the like. I have not 
as yet reached that point myself, and am glad 
to feel that I can still tolerate Nature. All the 
same a sort of nurseryman’s attitude towards 
everything tainted with wildness is fast gaining 
upon me, and unless I can check both it, and 
this overweening love of tidiness while there is 
time, I plainly foresee that there will shortly 
be nothing else left! 
