OUR BACK YARD— II. 



SECONDLY OF A LITTLE LAY SERMON. 



but not beautiful. 



HEN we first took possession of 

 what is now our garden it did 

 not merit that name except 

 from its great possibilities, for 

 it then had no existence other 

 than so many square feet of 

 real estate, valuable, perhaps, 

 It was in very nearly the con- 



dition which I have described in a former article as 



which was never intended by nature to supply food 

 for shrubs and flowers. At that time our ideas on the 

 subject of gardening were more general than precise, 

 so that we also had to contend with the worst of all 

 difficulties — ignorance. But as a perfect love cast- 

 eth out fear, so a horticultural enthusiasm overcomes 

 all obstacles, and by patient work from that time to 

 this we have gradually converted the waste place 

 into a small garden which, though by no means per- 



OuR Back Yard When We First Took Possession. 



that of back yards in general. But to the eye of a 

 gardener it presented a promising field for the- exer- 

 cise of his art. Being on the south side of the 

 house, it was open to the sun and sheltered from 

 the cold north winds, so that it was likely to prove 

 an "early garden.'" The soil, however, was not so 

 promising, as the whole yard had been "skinned " of 

 its top soil in consequence of some former grading ; 

 hence what was left was a stratum of " rotten rock," 



feet, or what, in the light of our constantly rising 

 ideals, we would like it to be, is yet a vast improve- 

 ment upon the original chaos, and a source of great 

 pleasure to us and our friends. We hold that man 

 to be unworthy of the good gift of a garden, how- 

 ever small, who fails to share its pleasures with his 

 neighbors, and give as freely as he has received. 

 Unnumbered are the bouquets and boutonnieres 

 which have been distributed among our friends and 



