Stranica 102 [102]
SHIRLEY
apeaa=gi) ALONE on a day in June into the old garden at
CH: AE) Shirley. As you step from the semi-circular, gravel
| drive which passes the land front of the house on
to a grass walk, thence down to the small gray
Wi] wooden gate set in a tall box-hedge which overtops
ll it, pass through and close the gate, I pray you,
and stop a moment to inhale the fragrance and to let the magic ot
the green things growing enfold you.
The garden has stood witness to the passing of many genera¬
tions since its squares were laid out; since its walks were strewed
with gravel yielded by the river shore, and its box-hedges and trees
were set out. You may pass on, now the magic has its hold upon
you, down the main walk where great box-trees flank your lett—
trees in whose shady hollows little children used to play the drama
of home and family.
On your right there is a large rectangular plot about one hun¬
dred feet by twenty-five, which bears within its generous dimensions
fragrance and beauty enough for one garden. Roses, Fortune’s
New Yellow, Gold-of-Ophir, the York and Lancaster which 1s
sometimes a white rose streaked and spotted with red, or a red rose
streaked and spotted with white, columbines, fox-glove, Chinese
noneysuckle and hydrangeas are there, with the old-fashioned
corchorus which spelling is probably incorrect, though it sounds
like that, but which is not a rose at all, only a tall flowering shrub
covered with richly petaled yellow flowers, beautiful to behold.
Then there are lilacs, violets, sweet-shrubs, winter honeysuckle,
forsythia and more of other fragrant beauties whose names I
would be glad to give but that the spelling is somewhat involved
and I am not courageous in that line.
At the end of this main walk one comes to a parting of the
ways, to the right the transverse walk is sheltered in box-trees
[61]