A GARDEN BY THE SEA 19 



at the creation of the world and had been subject 

 only to the forces of Nature all its life. There is a 

 suggestion of woodland, a suggestion of hedgerow, a 

 suggestion of hillside, yet, of course, the garden differs 

 from them all. It is the absence of bare earth — for 

 scarcely one inch of soil lies undraped by plants — which 

 partly gives the garden that feeling of settled-down-ness. 

 A half-dressed person, a half-papered wall, a half- 

 filled bookcase, a half-finished house — all these things 

 hinder the feeling of repose. So it is that nearly all 

 gardens, looking, as they do, to be in a state of prepara- 

 tion and incompleteness, make restfulness out of the 

 question. But in this garden repose seems the natural 

 emotion, and to sit there beneath a tree and read or chat 

 is always the appropriate thing. 



It is not, however, that the earth is all draped which 

 alone causes the feeling of rest. This is due very largely 

 to the fact that the garden is not a show-garden," 

 was not created for show, but for the satisfaction of its 

 creator. 



The comfortable feel " of the garden is largely 

 assisted also by the nature of the flowers and plants 

 which he has elected to cultivate : Gilly-flowers, Pinks 

 and Purple Columbines, Sweet Carnations, Daffodils 

 and loved Lilies. To quote Korumushi, a poet of 

 the race which has the spirit of flower- worship in its 

 heart — 



No man so callous, luit he heaves a sigh 



When o'er his head the withered Cherry-flowers 



Come fluttering down." 



And no man is so devoid of feeling as to be unmoved 

 by the sight of the flowers associated with the ideals 

 of the race — the flowers which Chaucer loved, and 

 Shakspere. 



I have seen a beautiful garden, containing none but 

 flowers mentioned by Shakspere. This, however, was 



