£32 
THE RETURN HOME 
From Queenie’s voice we were sure that she 
knew quite well what she was relating. Often she 
is mischievous, but, when serious, she is much more 
accurate than most little girls. 
We went back to the garden to wait for Miss 
Wiseman and to look more closely at the hy- 
drangeas. Besides small ones in the garden, we 
have also the large tree-like hydrangeas which Miss 
Wiseman gave us with the other shrubs. They 
follow the lower curve of the circle in front of the 
house, and are also in bloom. The small ones we 
bought ourselves, to fill up some of the bare places 
at the back of certain flovi^ers. There is something 
very generous about these large bunches of hy- 
drangeas. Perhaps they wish to be lavish with 
their bloom because the autumn will so soon rob 
us of other things. 
“It is truly hydrangea-time,’’ Miss Wiseman said 
when she found us in the garden. “I hardly know 
what I should do without these shrubs at this season 
of the year.” 
We showed her the ones she had given us in 
front of the house. Although she had noticed their 
beauty as she drove in the gate, she had not remem- 
bered that it was she who sent them. Miss Wise- 
man gives away a great many things, but she never 
torments people by pointing them out as her gifts. 
Mr. Percy does not do this, either. He even asks 
Joseph about the rose-mallows, the ferns and other 
things that he has himself planted for us, as If he 
