226 OLD-FASHIONED GARDENING 
ive” spirit which our old gardeners generally allowed 
themselves; and these are obviously not subjects that 
invite notably frisky treatment. The cumbersome 
attempt at imaginative construction which conceived 
and executed the “rustic” arbor shows a touch of it, 
perhaps; but for some reason, the temperament de¬ 
veloped here never has possessed the sprightliness nec¬ 
essary to take true “anticke works” seriously, and work 
them out thoughtfully. Americans are only just now 
beginning to learn to play, so they tell us; some in¬ 
deed deny that we have yet begun. 
So there was very little of this sort of thing that 
found its way into gardens here, although grave modi¬ 
fications of such outdoor frivols are to be seen in a 
primly sheared tree, here and there. Indeed, such a 
tree or pair of trees were probably to be found in al¬ 
most every garden that was at all worthy of consid¬ 
eration, long ago. Yet true topiary work, or “tree 
sculpture” has never been in high favor here, and no 
one ever undertook anything so elaborate as Lawson’s 
“lesser wood, framed to shape of men armed ready to 
give battle, or swift running Greyhounds—or well 
sented and true running Hounds to chase the Deere or 
Hunt the Hare,” notwithstanding his delightful rec¬ 
ommendation that “this kinde of hunting shall not 
waste your corne nor much your coyne ” Such pieces 
Tequire some years to bring them to perfection, of 
course, and considerable care to keep, once perfection 
