Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
the Tzar to the moujik. There is a delightful story current 
about some distinguished personage that he was given an 
Easter egg from which a mysterious ticking noise was 
heard proceeding. For fear it should be an anarchist 
bomb, it was put in a pail of water awhile. It was then 
cautiously opened, and lo and behold, a harmless and 
beautiful watch! 
Blue grape hyacinths — Jacynths, as my old Queen Anne 
Herbalist calls them — and squills, yellow wallflower, yellow 
narcissus and red daisies are all to be found now as well as 
the French forget-me-not. I also saw a few early lilac 
violas or tufted pansies, which now, I believe, is the more 
correct name. But, alas, this afternoon it has turned very 
cold, and a small steady shower of tiniest snowflakes has 
begun to fall. A rueful prophecy is being whispered about 
that we are to have snow all the summer. Alas ! alas ! 
how about the budding hyacinths and coyly opening tulips ! 
Certainly the one charm said to be eternal, that of “ the 
unexpected for ever befalling,” is never absent from a 
garden. There is a legend that when a maiden finds a six- 
petalled primrose she will see her lover. I found one the 
other day, also an eight-petalled one, but they are not so 
pretty as the common kind, I think, though curious. 
THE SIX-PETALLED PRIMROSE 
Granny sat spinning by her fireside, 
Birr, birr, birr. 
Her bonny brown hair young Lilias tied 
At the glass, with a little dimpling smile 
Flitting over her face the while. 
'* Where are you going now, Lilias dear ? ” 
Birr, birr, birr. 
The cracked voice whispers, the dim eyes peer. 
" Down in the dell where the primroses dwell, 
Down by the fell, by the Fairies’ well.” 
Granny looked gravely up from her wheel, 
Birr, birr, birr. 
Lilias stept softly, she wished to steal 
Thro’ the open door and get far away 
Before old Granny could bid her stay. 
108 
