THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
383 
August 15. 
But the affairs of this world are like cogs on a revolving 
wheel, while one is up and anon it is down, just to come up 
again; and so we may live to see the day when that cog will 
come up again which will bring Mr. Rivers’s herbaceous 
plants into requisition once more—at least, we hope so. 
Among the ornamental trees, our attention was attracted 
by a very fine collection of Oa/cs and Coniferous Plants, two 
families which, if more extensively and judiciously planted, 
would contribute much towards altering and improving the 
landscape scenery of some of our noble parks and pleasure- 
grounds, as they furnish a greater variety of outline foliage 
and hue than any other two families of timber-trees with 
which we are acquainted. As an instance of what may be 
done by attention to the management of such trees, we ob- 
i served a remarkably beautiful specimen of Piims Auslriaca, 
the natural habit of which is to produce long, wide-spread¬ 
ing, naked branches, but which, in this case, formed a dense 
and handsome pyramidal tree. The mode by which Mr. 
; Rivers attained this form was by breaking otf the ends of 
1 every branch, except the leader, when the shoots are about 
four inches in length, and thereby causing the buds at the 
\ base to be developed, which, under ordinary circumstances, 
would become dormant, and the effect is to produce a habit 
! similar to that so much admired in Piims insiynis; such a 
system applied to Pinus Lobiniana, macrocarpa, and others 
of the same section, which generally present a naked and 
straggling habit of growth, would, no doubt, materially alter, 
and, we think, improve their appearance. 
The collection of ornamental trees and shrubs, including 
Rhododendrons of the most choice and rare varieties, Azaleas, 
&c., is very extensive. Wo observed a large stock of that 
very graceful tree the new American Weeping Willoiv, which 
was imported and first brought into notice by Mr. Rivers. 
It has all the weeping character of the old Weeping Willow, 
with foliage of a much darker colour on the upper surface, 
which forms a beautiful contrast with the light shade of the 
under side of the leaf. It is also much hardier than the 
old variety, so much so, as to withstand the severest frosts 
in the most exposed localities. In Scotland, and the north 
of England, where the old variety suffers so severely, this is 
found to succeed admirably; a property which all who value 
beauty of scenery in such districts should take advantage of. 
We see, also, that great attention is given to the cultivation 
of that interesting and ornamental genus, the Cylisus, the 
most showy species of which arc here produced on standards 
on a large scale. Thuja Wareana is another shrub which 
seems to form a staple article in this establishment; 
as many as 40,000 or 50,000 being produced annually for 
exportation, as well as for home demand. Indeed, every¬ 
thing here is on a large scale, and everything is done well. 
Our limits being exhausted, we must leave our observa¬ 
tions on the most interesting part of this vast establishment 
till next week, when we shall devote our attention to a notice 
of the Fruit Trees and Orchard Houses. R. H. 
THE GREAT QUESTION. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers.” 
(Continued from page 340.) 
In a beautifully shaded part of the road leading to the 
old glebe house, where the Rev. Richard Johnston resided, 
that gentleman observed, one day, a young man watching 
him very anxiously, and appearing to be doubtful whether 
he should advance to meet him, or retreat. Mr. Johnston, 
was on his way to visit a sick parishioner, but plainly seeing 
the embarrassment of the young man, he stopped and 
asked him if he had been going to the glebe ? The young 
man replied simply “ Yes.” Mr. Johnston then enquired if 
there was anything he wanted ? He replied, “ I wanted to 
see if such a hard heart as mine could come to Christ.” 
Here was the outburst of a heart convinced of sin. When 
the Spirit of God awakens the soul, there is no rest until 
it finds out what it must “ do to be saved.” Mr. Johnston's 
own words best describe the scene. “ He abruptly paused, 
and fixed upon me the most intent gaze. This question, 
put in the most decisive manner, with an indescribable 
wildness in his bearing, looking at me under his eyes, and 
hanging upon my lips, as if I was about to pronounce a 
sentence of life or death, produced the most startling effect. 
The scene was more like an apparition than a reality; I 
could scarce trust my senses. Just at the corner of the 
road, my mind absorbed in other reflections, to be arrested 
by such a man in an instant, and addressed so abruptly, 
upon so solemn a subject, was, indeed, startling. 
“ Never having had such a question put to me before by 
one in the full vigour of youth and health, or, indeed, by 
any one under similar circumstances, I began, as Festus in 
the case of Paul, to think the man insane, out of his senses, 
and that his insanity had taken a religious turn; that, in 
short, he was labouring under religious mania. But on 
conversing a little with him, and asking him a few questions 
as to how long this anxious concern about his soul had been 
felt, I discovered my mistake. I quickly perceived, that 
instead of being mad, he had never been in his “right 
mind ” until then. The fact was, I found before me one 
awakened of God from the slumber of spiritual death to a 
heartfelt sense of sin, and that, by God’s providence, I had 
been sent out that day to meet him at that spot, and to tell 
him ‘ words whereby lie might be saved.’ Had I gone but 
a few yards further, I should have been past the cross-road, 
and I should then have missed him ; but He 1 who doetli all 
things well,’ had so ordered that we should meet at the 
right time, and in the right place. God had a message of 
mercy to his soul, and it must needs be delivered.” 
This young man was no other than John Henry, urged 
onwards by an awakened and terrified conscience to ask the 
way to Zion. Readers! this is a great question; the one 
great question. Have your hearts ever asked for it? Be ] 
assured, unless you have enquired the way, you are going 
wrong. There is but One Way, and we are told, “few there 
be that find it.” Nevertheless, whoever desires to be saved 
from everlasting destruction must enquire about it, like 
poor John Henry. Some may ask of men ; others ask only 
of God; but whether they are princes or peasants, they 
must ask this mighty question before they can be brought 
into a saved state. 
Mr. Johnston, like all the true servants of Christ, answered 
him in his Master’s name and words. He opened the 
oracles of God, and brought before him passages of scripture, 
which no man could gainsay. No “traditions of men ” 
were offered to him; no “ profane and old wives fables ; ” 
but the pure and precious Gospel was simply preached to 
him, and it was “ the power of God unto salvation ” to him. 
Beneath the shade of trees, by the roadside, the first rays 
of spiritual light were conveyed to the anxious enquirer by 
God's messenger. “ After I had read and talked with him 
for some time, setting the truths of the Gospel before him 
in as plain and simple a way as I could, he seemed to re¬ 
ceive comfort. His manner lost much of its excitement; 
the wild gaze of his piercing eye ceased its stare, and he 
became quiet and composed.” Nothing pacifies the mind 
but the “ unadulterated word.” Woe unto him who addeth 
thereto, or taketh therefrom. 
“ The progress he made in spiritual things,” Mr. Johnston 
continues, “ was very rapid, outstripping many who had 
been ‘in Christ’ years before him, attaining an amount 
of knowledge in the doctrines of the Gospel rarely to be 
met with. His clear perception of Divine Truth, and his 
deep experimental acquaintance with it seemed wonderful, 
when one considers the few opportunities he was privileged 
with, and the many family hindrances he had to contend 
against. His father’s residence was in a remote part of the 
country, near the mountains. There was no one near with 
whom he could have any Christian intercourse. Those 
about him were too eagerly engaged in worldly gains and 
occupations to value his earnest piety; they could not 
understand him ; he ‘ was a wonder to them ; ’ for, alas ! 
‘ the natural man knowetli not the things of the Spirit of 
God.’ Regarding him as righteous over much, they felt no 
sympathy with him, nor be with them; and yet, notwith¬ 
standing his few opportunities, and his many hindrances, he 
grew daily in grace, and in the knowledge of his Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ.” 
It has been the experience of churches, and of individual 
Christians, that trials, difficulties, and hindrances, are good 
and desirable in spiritual life. Who has not found the 
quickening nature of such exercises, and the deadening, 
I backsliding carelessness that creeps on in sunshiny tunes ? 
