£14 
EARLY AUGUST DAYS 
ever. We have more confidence in them, feeling 
that they can never disappoint us. 
I picked one of the flowers and-some large leaves 
to put in water in the house. We wishedbto look at 
it even after the dusk had fallen. But, alas! the 
leaves very quickly withered, and the flower 
drooped. Before twilight came, it had lost its 
attractiveness. 
“Next time,” Mr. Percy said, “pick large buds 
just beginning to show colour and put them in 
water. I believe they will then open and remain 
fresh.” 
I tried this the next day, and it was as Mr. 
Percy anticipated. The flowerssthat opened in the 
house were hardly as large as those that remained 
on the plants; but still they were not small, and 
held themselves up firmly for several days. These 
rose-mallow blossoms are usually as large as, and 
sometimes larger than, hollyhocks. 
Another wild flower that is now blooming in 
many gardens is called Oswego tea. Miss Wise- 
man has it at her place in great, important masses, 
which look very handsome. She told us it was a 
wild flower that gardeners had found desirable to 
cultivate ; although, as far as she knew, it appeared 
no different in her garden, where it had been 
watered and cared for, from in various nooks of the 
woods. She liked the rich red of the flowers, 
which harmonised with the foliage of her Japanese 
maples. 
