e its
luminous canopy sheltered a rare assemblage of such flowers as bloom and
thrive only for those whom they know and trust. But the crowning
transformation was out in the open sunlight, in the space which had been
the hen-yard. Within it was a holiday throng of the gardening world's
best-known and loved gentles and commons, from roses down to
forget-me-nots. Its screen of poultry-netting had been kept in place,
and no feature on the premises more charmingly showed that this floral
profusion came of no mere greed for abundance or diversity, but of a
true art instinct recognizing the limits of its resources. The garden
had to be made a "garden to look in upon," a veritable imprisoned
garden; the question of expense required it to be chiefly of annuals,
and all the structural features of the place called for concealment.
These wire nettings did so; on their outside, next the grass, two
complete groups of herbaceous things were so disposed as to keep them
veiled in bloom throughout the whole warm half of the year. Close
against them and overpeering their tops were hollyhocks and dahlias;
against these stood at lesser height sweet peas, asters, zinnias,
coreopsis and others of like stature; in front of these were poppies for
summer, marigolds for autumn; beneath these again were verbenas,
candytuft--all this is sketched from memory, and I recall the winsome
effect rather than species and names; and still below nestled portulaca
and periwinkle. I fear the enumeration gives but a harlequin effect; but
the fault of that is surely mine, for the result was delightful.

I have ventured to make report of these two or three gardens, not as in
themselves worthy of a great public's consideration and praise but as
happy instances of a fruitage we are gathering among hundreds of homes
in a little city where it is proposed to give every home, if possible,
its utmost value. Many other pleasing examples could be cited if further
turnings of the kaleidoscope were a real need, but this slender
discourse is as long now as it should be. It seems droll to call grave
attention to such humble things in a world so rightly preoccupied with
great sciences and high arts, vast industries, shining discoveries and
international rivalries, strifes and projects; yet what are all these
for, at last, but the simple citizen, his family and his home, and for
him and them in the cottage as well as in the palace? The poor man's
home may shine dimly but it is