THE WINDOW-SILL AND THE AREA. 
I would not for a world of gold, 
That nature’s lovely face should tire : 
Fountains of blessings yet untold, 
Pure source of intellectual fire : 
Fancy’s pure buds, the germs of song, 
Unquickened ’midst the world’s rude strife, 
Shall sweet retirement render strong 
And morning silence bring to life. 
Bloomfield. 
L ET us not despise the day oi small things. A window-sill garden is 
better than no garden, and the dark area, where cats quarrel and damp 
makes patches of unsightly mould, may be made bright with healthy 
vegetation that shall be worth a little care, and very much love. One advan¬ 
tage of abstaining from the adoption of a glass enclosure is that we may have 
flowers at the windows without losing a ray of light, and with additional 
temptations to open the window that the healthy breeze may wander round 
the room, and bless the inmates with waftings of odours from our own 
flowers. 
It is a very simple matter to obtain a sufficient number of handsome plants 
in pots, and place them on a window-sill, and thus produce a fringe of 
fragrant flowers that shall contribute materially to the comfortable aspect of 
