elizabeth and her german garden-第3节

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t　I　had　not　enough　and　that　nobody　had　any　to　sell　me；　only　six　have　got　their　pansies；　the　others　being　sown　with　dwarf　mignonette。　Two　of　the　eleven　are　filled　with　Marie　van　Houtte　roses；　two　with　Viscountess　Folkestone；　two　with　Laurette　Messimy；　one　with　Souvenir　de　la　Malmaison；　one　with　Adam　and　Devoniensis；　two　with　Persian　Yellow　and　Bicolor；　and　one　big　bed　behind　the　sun…dial　with　three　sorts　of　red　roses　（seventy…two　in　all）；　Duke　of　Teck；　Cheshunt　Scarlet；　and　Prefet　de　Limburg。　　This　bed　is；　I　am　sure；　a　mistake；　and　several　of　the　others　are；　I　think；　but　of　course　I　must　wait　and　see；　being　such　an　ignorant　person。　Then　I　have　had　two　long　beds　made　in　the　grass　on　either　side　of　the　semicircle；　each　sown　with　mignonette；　and　one　filled　with　Marie　van　Houtte；　and　the　other　with　Jules　Finger　and　the　Bride；　and　in　a　warm　corner　under　the　drawing…room　windows　is　a　bed　of　Madame　Lambard；　Madame　de　Watteville；　and　Comtesse　Riza　du　Parc；　while　farther　down　the　garden；　sheltered　on　the　north　and　west　by　a　group　of　beeches　and　lilacs；　is　another　large　bed；　containing　Rubens；　Madame　Joseph　Schwartz；　and　the　Hen。　　Edith　Gifford。　All　these　roses　are　dwarf；　I　have　only　two　standards　in　the　whole　garden；　two　Madame　George　Bruants；　and　they　look　like　broomsticks。　How　I　long　for　the　day　when　the　tea…roses　open　their　buds！　Never　did　I　look　forward　so　intensely　to　anything；　and　every　day　I　go　the　rounds；　admiring　what　the　dear　little　things　have　achieved　in　the　twentyfour　hours　in　the　way　of　new　leaf　or　increase　of　lovely　red　shoot。

The　hollyhocks　and　lilies　（now　flourishing）　are　still　under　the　south　windows　in　a　narrow　border　on　the　top　of　a　grass　slope；　at　the　foot　of　which　I　have　sown　two　long　borders　of　sweetpeas　facing　the　rose　beds；　so　that　my　roses　may　have　something　almost　as　sweet　as　themselves　to　look　at　until　the　autumn；　when　everything　is　to　make　place　for　more　tea…roses。　The　path　leading　away　from　this　semicircle　down　the　garden　is　bordered　with　China　roses；　white　and　pink；　with　here　and　there　a　Persian　Yellow。　I　wish　now　I　had　put　tea…roses　there；　and　I　have　misgivings　as　to　the　effect　of　the　Persian　Yellows　among　the　Chinas；　for　the　Chinas　are　such　wee　little　baby　things；　and　the　Persian　Yellows　look　as　though　they　intended　to　be　big　bushes。

There　is　not　a　creature　in　all　this　part　of　the　world　who　could　in　the　least　understand　with　what　heart…beatings　I　am　looking　forward　to　the　flowering　of　these　roses；　and　not　a　German　gardening　book　that　does　not　relegate　all　tea…roses　to　hot…houses；　imprisoning　them　for　life；　and　depriving　them　for　ever　of　the　breath　of　God。　It　was　no　doubt　because　I　was　so　ignorant　that　I　rushed　in　where　Teutonic　angels　fear　to　tread　and　made　my　tea…roses　face　a　northern　winter；　but　they　did　face　it　under　fir　branches　and　leaves；　and　not　one　has　suffered；　and　they　are　looking　to…day　as　happy　and　as　determined　to　enjoy　themselves　as　any　roses；　I　am　sure；　in　Europe。

May　14th。To…day　I　am　writing　on　the　verandah　with　the　three　babies；　more　persistent　than　mosquitoes；　raging　round　me；　and　already　several　of　the　thirty　fingers　have　been　in　the　ink…pot　and　the　owners　consoled　when　duty　pointed　to　rebukes。　But　who　can　rebuke　such　penitent　and　drooping　sunbonnets？　I　can　see　nothing　but　sunbonnets　and　pinafores　and　nimble　black　legs。

These　three；　their　patient　nurse；　myself；　the　gardener；　and　the　gardener's　assistant；　are　the　only　people　who　ever　go　into　my　garden；　but　then　neither　are　we　ever　out　of　it。　The　gardener　has　been　here　a　year　and　has　given　me　notice　regularly　on　the　first　of　every　month；　but　up　to　now　has　been　induced　to　stay　on。　　On　the　first　of　this　month　he　came　as　usual；　and　with　determination　written　on　every　feature　told　me　he　intended　to　go　in　June；　and　that　nothing　should　alter　his　decision。　　I　don't　think　he　knows　much　about　gardening；　but　he　can　at　least　dig　and　water；　and　some　of　the　things　he　sows　come　up；　and　some　of　the　plants　he　plants　grow；　besides　which　he　is　the　most　unflaggingly　industrious　person　I　ever　saw；　and　has　the　great　merit　of　never　appearing　to　take　the　faintest　interest　in　what　we　do　in　the　garden。　So　I　have　tried　to　keep　him　on；　not　knowing　what　the　next　one　may　be　like；　and　when　I　asked　him　what　he　had　to　complain　of　and　he　replied　〃Nothing；〃　I　could　only　conclude　that　he　has　a　personal　objection　to　me　because　of　my　eccentric　preference　for　plants　in　groups　rather　than　plants　in　lines。　Perhaps；　too；　he　does　not　like　the　extracts　from　gardening　books　I　read　to　him　sometimes　when　he　is　planting　or　sowing　something　new。　Being　so　helpless　myself；　I　thought　it　simpler；　instead　of　explaining；　to　take　the　book　itself　out　to　him　and　let　him　have　wisdom　at　its　very　source；　administering　it　in　doses　while　he　worked。　I　quite　recognise　that　this　must　be　annoying；　and　only　my　anxiety　not　to　lose　a　whole　year　through　some　stupid　mistake　has　given　me　the　courage　to　do　it。　　I　laugh　sometimes　behind　the　book　at　his　disgusted　face；　and　wish　we　could　be　photographed；　so　that　I　may　be　reminded　in　twenty　years'　time；　when　the　garden　is　a　bower　of　loveliness　and　I　learned　in　all　its　ways；　of　my　first　happy　struggles　and　failures。

All　through　April　he　was　putting　the　perennials　we　had　sown　in　the　autumn　into　their　permanent　places；　and　all　through　April　he　went　about　with　a　long　piece　of　string　making　parallel　lines　down　the　borders　of　beautiful　exactitude　and　arranging　the　poor　plants　like　soldiers　at　a　review。　Two　long　borders　were　done　during　my　absence　one　day；　and　when　I　explained　that　I　should　like　the　third　to　have　plants　in　groups　and　not　in　lines；　and　that　what　I　wanted　was　a　natural　effect　with　no　bare　spaces　of　earth　to　be　seen；　he　looked　even　more　gloomily　hopeless　than　usual；　and　on　my　going　out　later　on　to　see　the　result；　I　found　he　had　planted　two　long　borders　down　the　sides　of　a　straight　walk　with　little　lines　of　five　plants　in　a　rowfirst　five　pinks；　and　next　to　them　five　rockets；　and　behind　the　rockets　five　pinks；　and　behind　the　pinks　five　rockets；　and　so　on　with　different　plants　of　every　sort　and　size　down　to　the　end。　When　I　protested；　he　said　he　had　only　carried　out　my　orders　and　had　known　it　would　not　look　well；　so　I　gave　in；　and　the　remaining　borders　were　done　after　the　pattern　of　the　first　two；　and　I　will　have　patience　and　see　how　they　look　this　summer；　before　digging　them　up　again；　for　it　becomes　beginners　to　be　humble。

If　I　could　only　dig　and　plant　myself！　　How　much　easier；　besides　being　so　fascinating；　to　make　your　own　holes　exactly　where　you　want　them　and　put　in　your　plants　exactly　as　you　choose　instead　of　giving　orders　that　can　only　be　half　understood　from　the　moment　you　depart　from　the　lines　laid　down　by　that　long　piece　of　string！　In　the　first　ecstasy　of　having　a　garden　all　my　own；　and　in　my　burning　impatience　to　make　the　waste　places　blossom　like　a　rose；　I　did　one　warm　Sunday　in　last　year's　April　during　the　servants'　dinner　hour；　doubly　secure　from　the　gardener　by　the　day　and　the　dinner；　slink　out　with　a　spade　and　a　rake　and　feverishly　dig　a　little　piece　of　ground　and　break　it　up　and　sow　surreptitious　ipomaea；　and　run　back　very　hot　and　guilty　into　the　house；　and　get　into　a　chair　and　behind　a　book　and　look　languid　just　in　time　to　save　my　reputation。　And　why　not？　　It　is　not　graceful；　and　it　makes　one　hot；　but　it　is　a　blessed　sort　of　work；　and　if　Eve　had　had　a　spade　in　Paradise　and　known　what　to　do　with　it；　we　should　not　have　had　all　that　sad　business　of　the　apple。

What　a　happy　woman　I　am　living　in　a　garden；　with　books；　babies；　birds；　and　flowers；　and　plenty　of　leisure　to　enjoy　them！　Yet　my　town　acquaintances　look　upon　it　as　imprisonment；　and　burying；　and　I　don't　know　what　besides；　and　would　rend　the　air　with　their　shrieks　if　condemned　to　such　a　life。　　Sometimes　I　feel　as　if　I　were　blest　above　all　my　fellows　in　being　able　to　find　my　happiness　so　easily。　I　believe　I　should　always　be　good　if　the　sun　always　shone；　and　could　enjoy　myself　very　well　in　Siberia　on　a　fine　day。　And　what　can　life　in　town　offer　in　the　way　of　pleasure　to　equal　the　delight　of　any　one　of　the　calm　evenings　I　have　had　this　month　sitting　alone　at　the　foot　of　the　verandah　steps；　with　the　perfume　of　young　larches　all　about；　and　the　May　moon　hanging　low　over　the　beeches；　and　the　beautiful　silence　made　only　more　profound　in　its　peace　by　the　croaking　of　distant　frogs　and　hooting　of　owls？　A　cockchafer　darting　by　close　to　my　ear　with　a　loud　hum　sends　a　shiver　through　me；　partly　of　pleasure　at　the　reminder　of　past　summers；　and　partly　of　fear　lest　he　should　get　caught　in　my　hair。　The　Man　of　Wrath　says　they　are　pernicious　creatures　and　should　be　killed。　I　would　rather　get　the　killing　done　at　the　end　of　the　summer　and　not　crush　them　out　of　such　a　pretty　world　at　the　very　beginning　of　all　the　fun。

This　has　been　quite　an　eventful　afternoon。　My　eldest　baby；　born　in　April；　is　five　years　old；　and　the　youngest；　born　in　June；　is　three；　so　that　the　discerning　will　at　once　be　able　to　guess　the　age　of　the　remaining　middle　or　May　baby。　While　I　was　stooping　over　a　group　of　hollyhocks　planted　on　the　top　of　the　only　thing　in　the　shape　of　a　hill　the　garden　possesses；　the　April　baby；　who　had　been　sitting　pensive　on　a　tree　stump　close　by；　got　up　suddenly　and　began　to　run　aimlessly　about；　shrieking　and