128 
THE LAST MAY DAYS 
lifted in the autumn and taken care of over the 
winter. If we were not just beginning our garden 
at the Six Spruces, I should advise Joseph to have 
a few gladioli, for in August they are among the 
loveliest of garden flowers. In fact, it is a great 
disappointment to me not to have them. The 
cannas are very decorative, especially about a for- 
mal place like Nestly Heights. But it is their 
great leaves that I like to see waving with the 
breezes. 
I have never especially liked dahlias, although 
Mr. Hayden and Miss Wiseman regard this as an 
instance of bad taste. Over their dahlias and the 
new varieties of gladioli they have more rivalry 
than about almost any other flowers. When Mr. 
Hayden urged us to plant dahlias, cannas and 
gladioli, I reminded him that the triangle was really 
a child’s garden, with Little Joseph as its head 
gardener; and that, for this year, we wished to 
plant only hardy flowers which would grow freely. 
He answered that, for a child’s garden, my rose 
fan had quite a grown-up look. But then I begin 
to feel grown up, and have to be careful some days 
not to let Joseph know how much of a child he 
seems to me. Between thirteen and seventeen there 
is a very great difference. Joseph, however, is not 
at all like many boys. When he goes to school 
next winter, he will, perhaps, grow more like Ben 
and Harry. 
Little Joseph is very thoughtful. Mrs. Keith 
