The Charm of Color 
245 
bushes is termed sultana and crimson, but it is in 
fact plain magenta. One of the good points of 
the Peony is that you never saw a magenta one. 
This color shows that time as well as place affects 
our color notions, for magenta is believed to be the 
honored royal purple of the ancients. Fifty years 
ago no one complained of magenta. It was deemed 
a cheerful color, and was set out boldly and com- 
placently by the side of pink or scarlet, or wall 
flower colors. Now I dislike it so that really the 
printed word, seen often as I glance back through 
this page, makes the black and white look cheap. 
If I could turn all magenta flowers pink or purple, 
I should never think further about garden harmony, 
all other colors would adjust themselves. 
It has been the fortune of some communities to 
be the home of men in nature like Thoreau of Con- 
cord and Gilbert White of Selborne, men who live 
solely in love of out-door things, birds, flowers, rocks, 
and trees. To all these nature lovers is not given 
the power of writing down readily what they see and 
know, usually the gift of composition is denied them ; 
but often they are just as close and accurate observers 
as the men whose names are known to the world by 
their writings. Sometimes these naturalists boldly 
turn to nature, their loved mother, and earn their 
living in the woods and fields. Sometimes they have 
a touch of the hermit in them, they prefer nature to 
man ; others are genial, kindly men, albeit possessed 
of a certain reserve. I deem the community blest 
that has such a citizen, for his influence in promoting 
a love and study of nature is ever great. I have 
