ers；　thrown　under　doors；　and　even　fastened　to　his　own　garden　wall。　The　peasant　hereabouts　is　past　belief　low　and　animal；　and　a　sensitive；　intellectual　parson　among　them　is　really　a　pearl　before　swine。　For　years　he　has　gone　on　unflinchingly；　filled　with　the　most　living　faith　and　hope　and　charity；　and　I　sometimes　wonder　whether　they　are　any　better　now　in　his　parish　than　they　were　under　his　predecessor；　a　man　who　smoked　and　drank　beer　from　Monday　morning　to　Saturday　night；　never　did　a　stroke　of　work；　and　often　kept　the　scanty　congregation　waiting　on　Sunday　afternoons　while　he　finished　his　postprandial　nap。　It　is　discouraging　enough　to　make　most　men　give　in；　and　leave　the　parish　to　get　to　heaven　or　not　as　it　pleases；　but　he　never　seems　discouraged；　and　goes　on　sacrificing　the　best　part　of　his　life　to　these　people　when　all　his　tastes　are　literary；　and　all　his　inclinations　towards　the　life　of　the　student。　His　convictions　drag　him　out　of　his　little　home　at　all　hours　to　minister　to　the　sick　and　exhort　the　wicked；　they　give　him　no　rest；　and　never　let　him　feel　he　has　done　enough；　and　when　he　comes　home　weary；　after　a　day's　wrestling　with　his　parishioners'　souls；　he　is　confronted　on　his　doorstep　by　filthy　abuse　pasted　up　on　his　own　front　door。　He　never　speaks　of　these　things；　but　how　shall　they　be　hid？　Everybody　here　knows　everything　that　happens　before　the　day　is　over；　and　what　we　have　for　dinner　is　of　far　greater　general　interest　than　the　most　astounding　political　earthquake。　　They　have　a　pretty；　roomy　cottage；　and　a　good　bit　of　ground　adjoining　the　churchyard。　His　predecessor　used　to　hang　out　his　washing　on　the　tombstones　to　dry；　but　then　he　was　a　person　entirely　lost　to　all　sense　of　decency；　and　had　finally　to　be　removed；　preaching　a　farewell　sermon　of　a　most　vituperative　description；　and　hurling　invective　at　the　Man　of　Wrath；　who　sat　up　in　his　box　drinking　in　every　word　and　enjoying　himself　thoroughly。　　The　Man　of　Wrath　likes　novelty；　and　such　a　sermon　had　never　been　heard　before。　　It　is　spoken　of　in　the　village　to　this　day　with　bated　breath　and　awful　joy。
  December　22nd。Up　to　now　we　have　had　a　beautiful　winter。　Clear　skies；　frost；　little　wind；　and；　except　for　a　sharp　touch　now　and　then；　very　few　really　cold　days。　　My　windows　are　gay　with　hyacinths　and　lilies　of　the　valley；　and　though；　as　I　have　said；　I　don't　admire　the　smell　of　hyacinths　in　the　spring　when　it　seems　wanting　in　youth　and　chastity　next　to　that　of　other　flowers；　I　am　glad　enough　now　to　bury　my　nose　in　their　heavy　sweetness。　In　December　one　cannot　afford　to　be　fastidious；　besides；　one　is　actually　less　fastidious　about　everything　in　the　winter。　The　keen　air　braces　soul　as　well　as　body　into　robustness；　and　the　food　and　the　perfume　disliked　in　the　summer　are　perfectly　welcome　then。
  I　am　very　busy　preparing　for　Christmas；　but　have　often　locked　myself　up　in　a　room　alone；　shutting　out　my　unfinished　duties；　to　study　the　flower　catalogues　and　make　my　lists　of　seeds　and　shrubs　and　trees　for　the　spring。　It　is　a　fascinating　occupation；　and　acquires　an　additional　charm　when　you　know　you　ought　to　be　doing　something　else；　that　Christmas　is　at　the　door；　that　children　and　servants　and　farm　hands　depend　on　you　for　their　pleasure；　and　that；　if　you　don't　see　to　the　decoration　of　the　trees　and　house；　and　the　buying　of　the　presents；　nobody　else　will。　The　hours　fly　by　shut　up　with　those　catalogues　and　with　Duty　snarling　on　the　other　side　of　the　door。　　I　don't　like　Duty　everything　in　the　least　disagreeable　is　always　sure　to　be　one's　duty。　Why　cannot　it　be　my　duty　to　make　lists　and　plans　for　the　dear　garden？　〃And　so　it　is；〃　I　insisted　to　the　Man　of　Wrath；　when　he　protested　against　what　he　called　wasting　my　time　upstairs。　〃No；〃　he　replied　sagely；　〃your　garden　is　not　your　duty；　because　it　is　your　Pleasure。〃
  What　a　comfort　it　is　to　have　such　wells　of　wisdom　constantly　at　my　disposal！　　Anybody　can　have　a　husband；　but　to　few　is　it　given　to　have　a　sage；　and　the　combination　of　both　is　as　rare　as　it　is　useful。　Indeed；　in　its　practical　utility　the　only　thing　I　ever　saw　to　equal　it　is　a　sofa　my　neighbour　has　bought　as　a　Christmas　surprise　for　her　husband；　and　which　she　showed　me　the　last　time　I　called　therea　beautiful　invention；　as　she　explained；　combining　a　bedstead；　a　sofa；　and　a　chest　of　drawers；　and　into　which　you　put　your　clothes；　and　on　top　of　which　you　put　yourself；　and　if　anybody　calls　in　the　middle　of　the　night　and　you　happen　to　be　using　the　drawing…room　as　a　bedroom；　you　just　pop　the　bedclothes　inside；　and　there　you　are　discovered　sitting　on　your　sofa　and　looking　for　all　the　world　as　though　you　had　been　expecting　visitors　for　hours。
  〃Pray；　does　he　wear　pyjamas？〃　　I　inquired。
  But　she　had　never　heard　of　pyjamas。
  It　takes　a　long　time　to　make　my　spring　lists。　I　want　to　have　a　border　all　yellow；　every　shade　of　yellow　from　fieriest　orange　to　nearly　white；　and　the　amount　of　work　and　studying　of　gardening　books　it　costs　me　will　only　be　appreciated　by　beginners　like　myself。　I　have　been　weeks　planning　it；　and　it　is　not　nearly　finished。　I　want　it　to　be　a　succession　of　glories　from　May　till　the　frosts；　and　the　chief　feature　is　to　be　the　number　of　〃ardent　marigolds〃　flowers　that　I　very　tenderly　loveand　nasturtiums。　The　nasturtiums　are　to　be　of　every　sort　and　shade；　and　are　to　climb　and　creep　and　grow　in　bushes；　and　show　their　lovely　flowers　and　leaves　to　the　best　advantage。　Then　there　are　to　be　eschscholtzias；　dahlias；　sunflowers；　zinnias；　scabiosa；　portulaca；　yellow　violas；　yellow　stocks；　yellow　sweet…peas；　yellow　lupinseverything　that　is　yellow　or　that　has　a　yellow　variety。　　The　place　I　have　chosen　for　it　is　a　long；　wide　border　in　the　sun；　at　the　foot　of　a　grassy　slope　crowned　with　lilacs　and　pines；　and　facing　southeast。　You　go　through　a　little　pine　wood；　and；　turning　a　corner；　are　to　come　suddenly　upon　this　bit　of　captured　morning　glory。　I　want　it　to　be　blinding　in　its　brightness　after　the　dark；　cool　path　through　the　wood。
  That　is　the　idea。　　Depression　seizes　me　when　I　reflect　upon　the　probable　difference　between　the　idea　and　its　realisation。　I　am　ignorant；　and　the　gardener　is；　I　do　believe；　still　more　so；　for　he　was　forcing　some　tulips；　and　they　have　all　shrivelled　up　and　died；　and　he　says　he　cannot　imagine　why。　　Besides；　he　is　in　love　with　the　cook；　and　is　going　to　marry　her　after　Christmas；　and　refuses　to　enter　into　any　of　my　plans　with　the　enthusiasm　they　deserve；　but　sits　with　vacant　eye　dreamily　chopping　wood　from　morning　till　night　to　keep　the　beloved　one's　kitchen　fire　well　supplied。　I　cannot　understand　any　one　preferring　cooks　to　marigolds；　those　future　marigolds；　shadowy　as　they　are；　and　whose　seeds　are　still　sleeping　at　the　seedsman's；　have　shone　through　my　winter　days　like　golden　lamps。
  I　wish　with　all　my　heart　I　were　a　man；　for　of　course　the　first　thing　I　should　do　would　be　to　buy　a　spade　and　go　and　garden；　and　then　I　should　have　the　delight　of　doing　everything　for　my　flowers　with　my　own　hands　and　need　not　waste　time　explaining　what　I　want　done　to　somebody　else。　It　is　dull　work　giving　orders　and　trying　to　describe　the　bright　visions　of　one's　brain　to　a　person　who　has　no　visions　and　no　brain；　and　who　thinks　a　yellow　bed　should　be　calceolarias　edged　with　blue。
  I　have　taken　care　in　choosing　my　yellow　plants　to　put　down　only　those　humble　ones　that　are　easily　pleased　and　grateful　for　little；　for　my　soil　is　by　no　means　all　that　it　might　be；　and　to　most　plants　the　climate　is　rather　trying。　　I　feel　really　grateful　to　any　flower　that　is　sturdy　and　willing　enough　to　flourish　here。　Pansies　seem　to　like　the　place　and　so　do　sweet…peas；　pinks　don't；　and　after　much　coaxing　gave　hardly　any　flowers　last　summer。　Nearly　all　the　roses　were　a　success；　in　spite　of　the　sandy　soil；　except　the　tea…rose　Adam；　which　was　covered　with　buds　ready　to　open；　when　they　suddenly　turned　brown　and　died；　and　three　standard　Dr。　Grills　which　stood　in　a　row　and　simply　sulked。　I　had　been　very　excited　about　Dr。　Grill；　his　description　in　the　catalogues　being　specially　fascinating；　and　no　doubt　I　deserved　the　snubbing　I　got。　　〃Never　be　excited；　my　dears；　about　anything；〃　shall　be　the　advice　I　will　give　the　three　babies　when　the　time　comes　to　take　them　out　to　parties；　〃or；　if　you　are；　don't　show　it。　　If　by　nature　you　are　volcanoes；　at　least　be　only　smouldering　ones。　　Don't　look　pleased；　don't　look　interested；　don't；　above　all　things；　look　eager。　Calm　indifference　should　be　written　on　every　feature　of　your　faces。　Never　show　that　you　like　any　one　person；　or　any　one　thing。　Be　cool；　languid；　and　reserved。　　If　you　don't　do　as　your　mother　tells　you　and　are　just　gushing；　frisky；　young　idiots；　snubs　will　be　your　portion。　　If　you　do　as　she　tells　you；　you'll　marry　princes　and　live　happily　ever　after。〃
  Dr。　Grill　must　be　a　German　rose。　　In　this　part　of　the　world　the　more　you　are　pleased　to　see　a　person　the　less　is　he　pleased　to　see　you；　whereas；　if　you　are　disagreeable；　he　will　grow　pleasant　visibly；　his　countenance　expanding　into　wider　amiability　the　more　your　own　is　stiff　and　sour。　But　I　was　not　Prepared　for　that　sort　of　thing　in　a　rose；　and　was　disgusted　with　Dr。　Grill。　　He　had　the　best　place　in　the　gardenwarm；　sunny；　and　sheltered；　his　holes　were　prepared　with　the　tenderest　care；　he　was　given　the　most　dainty　mixture　of　compo