6 
THE HOME GARDEN . 
not allow this ancient garden to be entirely destroyed"; 
and you came upon its quaint appearance in the dissim¬ 
ilar world in which it was placed as you might in some fes¬ 
tival of romantic costume upon a person habited in the 
courtly dress of the last century. It was formed on a 
gentle southern slope, with turfen terraces walled in on three 
sides, the fourth consisting of arches of golden yew. The 
duke had given this garden to Lady Corisande, in 
order that she might practice her theory that flow¬ 
er-gardens should be sweet and luxuriant, and not hard 
and scentless imitations of works of art. Here in their 
season flourished abundantly all those productions of Na¬ 
ture which are now banished from our once-ravished senses : 
huge bunches of honeysuckle and bowers of sweet-pea, and 
sweet-brier and jasmine clustering over the walls, and gilly¬ 
flowers scenting with their sweet breath the bricks from 
which they seemed to spring. There were banks of violets 
which the southern breeze always stirred, and mignonette 
filled every vacant nook. As they entered now, it seemed 
a blaze of roses and carnations ; though one recognized in a 
moment the presence of the lily, the heliotrope, and the 
stock. Some white peacocks were basking on the southern 
wall; and one of them, as their visitors entered, moved and 
displayed its plumage with scornful pride. The bees were 
busy in the air; but their homes were near, and you might 
watch them laboring in their glassy hives. ” 
This is a charming picture of a quaint, old-fashioned 
garden on a grand scale; but even ordinary old-fashioned 
ones, humble imitations of the Lady Corisande’s, breathe 
an aroma that is simply delicious. It is only here and 
there that one is found ; and the modern florist is slow to 
admit that half the charm of the old-fashioned garden lies 
in that look of happy rest among the plants, each of which 
seems to say, “All plant life is sacred here.” 
A lover of the old ways mourns : “I spoke of box-edg- 
