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HOME AND FLOWERS 



BOOK A^s^D LITEEAEY CHAT 



[This page aims to be a monthly record of the books and other publications likely to be 

 of interest and value to all who are working for home and civic betterment. The notices 

 will be brief, honest and as adequate as possible.] 



*''T~^HE Garden of a Commuter's Wife" 

 I (Macmillan) is a far more human 

 book than "Elizabeth and Her Ger- 

 man Garden." (I have always believed that 

 Elizabeth was a man and an American.) 

 The commuter's wife is not so self-centered; 

 she analyzes human weaknesses with the 

 same contemputous freedom as does Eliza- 

 beth, but her intuitions, while as swift, are 

 tenderer. It is not an easy thing to bring 

 orderly beauty out of a neglected garden 

 wilderness, to retain the things planted by 

 the hands of the mother long dead, who en- 

 dowed the daughter with the garden spirit. 

 By the sympathetic aid of husband and 

 father a plan was evolved which raised the 

 garden to a plane of spiritual satisfaction. 

 The central walk began at the mother's fa- 

 vorite tree down in one corner of the slop- 

 ing lawn, wandered round back of the house, 

 where was a bit of formal garden, circled 

 around the sun-dial the English husband had 

 carried from his old home, only to find that, 

 owing to differences in latitude, an English 

 sun-dial could not tell New England time. 

 The walk led one on through tunneled 

 arches of syringa and lilac, through the 

 orchard where grew narcissus and jonquils 

 in a tangled mat, on through the meadow 

 past the boggy spot where the iris and lilies 

 grew, finally to lose itself in the forest 

 depths. Ah, it is a garden for the imagina- 

 tion to feed upon. The commuter's wife 

 lashes the "bird professors" most unmer- 

 cifully over her parvenu neighbor's shoul- 

 ders. She says, "And as for birds, bird 

 study's all the rage. I've stopped wearing 

 feathers anyway until the excitement dies 

 down. ... In the spring when we re- 

 turn here, I'm going to have a bird class, and 

 a professor to take us out and point out the 

 birds. It's awfully nice, my dear, much 

 easier than a garden party; no fuss, no 

 trouble, managed like a Cook's tour in Eu- 

 rope. He tells you everything you ought to 

 see, so you don't have to think, you know. 

 I went once this year across the river where 

 I was visiting. There were twenty ladies in 

 sych becoming costumes, and such a de- 

 licious lunch, served quite in the woods, my 

 dear. When we were eating we saw a quail! 

 Yes, with its feathers on, and all. Did you 

 ever know anything so appropriate? We 

 learned two other birds besides — a blue Jane 



and the other was a red-eyed virago. I re- 

 member the name as so appropriate because 

 the bird sang or scolded, I don't know which, 

 all the time we were lunching." 



Soon To Be Published 



The publishers announce the following 

 "autumn books:" 



The Battle with the SLmis — Jacob Riis; 

 Macmillan. 



MrxiciPAL Admixisteatiox — Dr. Fairlie: 

 Macmillan. 



"This book begins with urban activities 

 at the dawn of Occidental civilization and 

 brings their history down to the present 

 day." 



Economics of Foeestey — Bernard C. Fer- 



now: Crowell. 

 Ix City Texts — Christian Terhune Herrick: 



Putnam. 



How to furnish and keep a small house 

 on slender means. 

 Judith's Gaedex — Mary Stone Bassett: 

 Lothrop. 



The Stoey of a Geaix' of Wheat — Wm. C. 



Edgar: Appleton. 

 City Roads axd Pavemexts — W. P. Judson: 



English News Pub. Co. 



Suited to cities of moderate size. 

 The Geeat Woeld's Faem — Selina Gaye: 



The Chautauqua Press. 



A fascinating book on nature study. 



Doubleday, Page & Co. have in prepara- 

 tion two new books in the New Nature Li- 

 brary, one dealing with American animals, 

 the other devoted to the study of orchids. 



Thank You 



I love Home and Flowers so much that if 

 you ever fail to send it, I shall be tempted 

 to board the train and go for it myself. 



Mrs. Sallie Spottswood Watkins. 



Huntsville, Alabama. 



The publishers and editor of Home axd 

 Flowees are certainly to be congratulated. 

 I think a copy of the magazine ought to be 

 placed in every home in the land. 



Mrs. Louis Marion McCall. 



St. Louis, Missouri. 



I am delighted to see Home axd Flowees 

 each month. I love it so that, were I able, 

 T should want it to come every month as long 

 as I live. I never tire of its bright face, its 

 beautiful ideas, and its uplifting influence. 



Mrs. W. H. Watkins. 



Huntsville, Alabama. 



