Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
Cook and I tried to feed him with milk and sops in milk, 
but in vain. And late in the day, when I asked after him, 
Cook, who had taken great interest in the little deserted 
tramp of the woods, said, “ Alas ! he is dead ! ” I was 
in the Rose-garden ; she handed me over the Holly-hedge 
the poor little body, stretched and stiff, as if he had tried 
to run away from Death the Destroyer, and “Jock Bell” 
found a tiny grave in the Lady’s-garden under a Rose, with 
a bit of grey slate for a tombstone, with his name rudely 
scratched on it. Boy, unfortunately, could not be grave- 
digger. “ Who’ll dig his grave ? ” “ I,” says the Boy. 
“ Because it’s a joy, I’ll dig his grave ! ” But Nurse 
swooped down on him just then, and it is not always 
advisable to defer funerals till a convenient moment. 
July 1 6. — Fine day ; good for the hay. The Saxons 
called July Heu monath , or the Hay month. I wish we 
did still, rather than use the Roman name. Certainly 
Julius Caesar is said to have rearranged the Kalendar, so 
perhaps he might reasonably expect to have one month 
named after him. The Kirkyard presented a somewhat 
quaint appearance to-day, as the long grass between the 
graves had all been mown down, and was fast becoming 
hay. This crop is by law the minister’s perquisite, and he 
makes it into cocks, which is a strange sight among the 
grey old stones. 
I have heard tell of a minister who went so far as to 
manure the Kirkyard, with a view to improving the quality 
of his hay; but I believe the heritors objected, and no 
wonder. Our church boasts a history. It was given by 
Cospatric Home, Earl of Dunbar, to the Abbey of Kelso, 
somewhere about 1159, and remained in possession of the 
monks till the Reformation. There is a curious old stone 
carving, representing two men and a woman, on one of the 
outside walls with the motto, “ Vive Memor Lethi,” which, 
being interpreted, seems to mean, “ Live mindful of Death,” 
or rather of the oblivion of death. It was overgrown by 
Ivy, so we have had it cleaned, also the carving above the 
figures, which runs thus : 
210 
