Oldal 102 [102]
OCR
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 generations 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 hundred 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]
