Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
nowadays ; but in our little garden, so behind the times, it is 
easier to mow than use a machine, so I often hear the 
pleasant summery sound of the denzil or sharpening-stone. 
In East Anglia scythes seem to be used a good deal still. 
I saw a basketful of denzils in a village store one day. Boy 
blew bubbles all tea-time, and the iridescent soap-bells 
looked so pretty sailing high up in the air, and breaking in 
the branches of the variegated Holly-tree or against the house, 
and once on the tip of Boy’s nose, to his vast bewilderment. 
May 9. — Rain and, oh ! so cold, one can scarcely believe 
it was only yesterday we sat in sunshine, in the garden now 
dripping and running with water in every little drift and 
crevice. 
May 10. — A grey mist. The distant Cheviots shrouded 
altogether from view, and so cold I expected snow, and went 
out walking in a great fur-coat. It is curious to think that 
this is the very day when, according to the calendar, the Indian 
Mutiny broke out ; that terrible storm out of seeming clear 
sky which brought such desolation to so many. Such a 
number of Scottish cadets of good family had wandered 
East to seek their fortune, the Indian disaster brought 
mourning to many a Border peel ; and many are the weird 
tales of bad omen connected therewith. I know of an old 
house, not so very far from here, where an old, old woman is 
seen to wander on the stairs, and if she point with her 
skinny finger at a certain door, the inmates of that room do 
not outlive the year. There was an officer and his wife 
once inhabiting that room when she was seen on the stair. 
The mistress of the house did not tell them about the saying, 
but made a note of the episode. And it is alleged that the 
couple were both killed in the Mutiny within the year. 
May 1 1 . — I found to-day a young rook, who had apparently 
fallen out of his nest in the top of a tall elm-tree. He did 
not know how to use his wings, so only walked away from 
me in a stately fashion in the grass, where I easily overtook 
him and stroked his head. He opened his beak to remon- 
strate, but apparently thought better of it, said nothing, and 
submitted to be caressed for a minute or two. He looked 
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