THE YEAR’S HIGH NOON 
83 
charm of the imprevu , so to speak, thrown in, than as 
slender, aristocratic layers, costly, and “ true to name ” 
indeed, but with none of the supurb abundance, and 
far less vigour of habit than is exhibited by my full and 
radiant sheaves. I would say to you, if you, too, have 
a liking for carnations, and, with myself, are no pre¬ 
cisian, “ go to one of the few really distinguished 
growers and induce him to sell you some out of his 
sturdy store of untitled seedlings.” The strain will be 
above reproach, while you will prove all the pleasures 
of expecting the delightful unknown. 
My carnation borders are entirely charming with 
their innumerable soft blots of coral and cherry, Persian 
pink, Venetian red, white, lemon, sharp carmine, and 
dusky rose all scattered upon a field of dim grey-green 
that has far more of grey in it than green. Mar¬ 
vellously beautiful too are my few that own their 
patents of nobility, the gorgeous yellow “ seifs,” 
“ bizarres,” and cc flakes.” The picotees alone are things 
to wonder on; some fairy artificer surely it was who 
rimmed each ivory-textured petal with so exquisite a 
pencilling of colour. What an unerring hand it is, and 
how miraculous a flair for the mot juste in harmonies of 
hue. No fine ivories of Japan, no miniature triumphs 
of art of the City of Lilies could approach such perfec¬ 
tion as this; the worst, or quite possibly the best, of 
this is that these beautiful things must pass so soon, 
leaving no derelicts for time to tarnish. 
The stately incense-breathing Mary-lilies are faded and 
fallen from their tall stems, but the sweet-smelling trum¬ 
pet-lily, the longiflorum, is generously and beautifully 
