May	O
7th	O
.	O

--	O
I	O
love	O
my	O
garden	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
writing	EVENT
in	O
it	O
now	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
afternoon	O
loveliness	O
,	O
much	O
interrupted	EVENT
by	O
the	O
mosquitoes	O
and	O
the	O
temptation	EVENT
to	O
look	O
at	O
all	O
the	O
glories	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
green	O
leaves	O
washed	EVENT
half	O
an	O
hour	O
ago	O
in	O
a	O
cold	O
shower	EVENT
.	O

Two	O
owls	O
are	O
perched	O
near	O
me	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
carrying	O
on	O
a	O
long	O
conversation	EVENT
that	O
I	O
enjoy	EVENT
as	O
much	O
as	O
any	O
warbling	O
of	O
nightingales	O
.	O

The	O
gentleman	O
owl	O
says	EVENT
[	O
[	O
musical	O
notes	O
occur	O
here	O
in	O
the	O
printed	O
text	O
]	O
]	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
answers	EVENT
from	O
her	O
tree	O
a	O
little	O
way	O
off	O
,	O
[	O
[	O
musical	O
notes	O
]	O
]	O
,	O
beautifully	O
assenting	EVENT
to	O
and	O
completing	EVENT
her	O
lord	O
’s	O
remark	EVENT
,	O
as	O
becomes	O
a	O
properly	O
constructed	O
German	O
she-owl	O
.	O

They	O
say	O
the	O
same	O
thing	O
over	O
and	O
over	O
again	O
so	O
emphatically	O
that	O
I	O
think	O
it	O
must	O
be	O
something	O
nasty	O
about	O
me	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
shall	O
not	O
let	O
myself	O
be	O
frightened	O
away	O
by	O
the	O
sarcasm	O
of	O
owls	O
.	O

This	O
is	O
less	O
a	O
garden	O
than	O
a	O
wilderness	O
.	O

No	O
one	O
has	O
lived	O
in	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
much	O
less	O
in	O
the	O
garden	O
,	O
for	O
twenty-five	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
such	O
a	O
pretty	O
old	O
place	O
that	O
the	O
people	O
who	O
might	O
have	O
lived	O
here	O
and	O
did	O
not	O
,	O
deliberately	O
preferring	O
the	O
horrors	O
of	O
a	O
flat	O
in	O
a	O
town	O
,	O
must	O
have	O
belonged	O
to	O
that	O
vast	O
number	O
of	O
eyeless	O
and	O
earless	O
persons	O
of	O
whom	O
the	O
world	O
seems	O
chiefly	O
composed	O
.	O

Noseless	O
too	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
does	O
not	O
sound	O
pretty	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
greater	O
part	O
of	O
my	O
spring	O
happiness	O
is	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
scent	O
of	O
the	O
wet	O
earth	O
and	O
young	O
leaves	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
always	O
happy	O
(	O
out	O
of	O
doors	O
be	O
it	O
understood	O
,	O
for	O
indoors	O
there	O
are	O
servants	O
and	O
furniture	O
)	O
but	O
in	O
quite	O
different	O
ways	O
,	O
and	O
my	O
spring	O
happiness	O
bears	O
no	O
resemblance	O
to	O
my	O
summer	O
or	O
autumn	O
happiness	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
more	O
intense	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
were	O
days	O
last	O
winter	O
when	O
I	O
danced	O
for	O
sheer	O
joy	O
out	O
in	O
my	O
frost-bound	O
garden	O
,	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
my	O
years	O
and	O
children	O
.	O

But	O
I	O
did	O
it	O
behind	O
a	O
bush	O
,	O
having	O
a	O
due	O
regard	O
for	O
the	O
decencies	O
.	O

There	O
are	O
so	O
many	O
bird-cherries	O
round	O
me	O
,	O
great	O
trees	O
with	O
branches	O
sweeping	O
the	O
grass	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
are	O
so	O
wreathed	O
just	O
now	O
with	O
white	O
blossoms	O
and	O
tenderest	O
green	O
that	O
the	O
garden	O
looks	O
like	O
a	O
wedding	O
.	O

I	O
never	O
saw	O
such	O
masses	O
of	O
them	O
;	O
they	O
seemed	O
to	O
fill	O
the	O
place	O
.	O

Even	O
across	O
a	O
little	O
stream	O
that	O
bounds	O
the	O
garden	O
on	O
the	O
east	O
,	O
and	O
right	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
the	O
cornfield	O
beyond	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
an	O
immense	O
one	O
,	O
a	O
picture	O
of	O
grace	O
and	O
glory	O
against	O
the	O
cold	O
blue	O
of	O
the	O
spring	O
sky	O
.	O

My	O
garden	O
is	O
surrounded	O
by	O
cornfields	O
and	O
meadows	O
,	O
and	O
beyond	O
are	O
great	O
stretches	O
of	O
sandy	O
heath	O
and	O
pine	O
forests	O
,	O
and	O
where	O
the	O
forests	O
leave	O
off	O
the	O
bare	O
heath	O
begins	O
again	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
forests	O
are	O
beautiful	O
in	O
their	O
lofty	O
,	O
pink-stemmed	O
vastness	O
,	O
far	O
overhead	O
the	O
crowns	O
of	O
softest	O
gray-green	O
,	O
and	O
underfoot	O
a	O
bright	O
green	O
wortleberry	O
carpet	O
,	O
and	O
everywhere	O
the	O
breathless	O
silence	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
bare	O
heaths	O
are	O
beautiful	O
too	O
,	O
for	O
one	O
can	O
see	O
across	O
them	O
into	O
eternity	O
almost	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
go	O
out	O
on	O
to	O
them	O
with	O
one	O
’s	O
face	O
towards	O
the	O
setting	O
sun	O
is	O
like	O
going	O
into	O
the	O
very	O
presence	O
of	O
God	O
.	O

In	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
this	O
plain	O
is	O
the	O
oasis	O
of	O
birdcherries	O
and	O
greenery	O
where	O
I	O
spend	O
my	O
happy	O
days	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
the	O
oasis	O
is	O
the	O
gray	O
stone	O
house	O
with	O
many	O
gables	O
where	O
I	O
pass	O
my	O
reluctant	O
nights	O
.	O

The	O
house	O
is	O
very	O
old	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
been	O
added	O
to	O
at	O
various	O
times	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
a	O
convent	O
before	O
the	O
Thirty	O
Years	O
’	O
War	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
vaulted	O
chapel	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
brick	O
floor	O
worn	O
by	O
pious	O
peasant	O
knees	O
,	O
is	O
now	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
hall	O
.	O

Gustavus	O
Adolphus	O
and	O
his	O
Swedes	O
passed	O
through	O
more	O
than	O
once	O
,	O
as	O
is	O
duly	O
recorded	EVENT
in	O
archives	O
still	O
preserved	O
,	O
for	O
we	O
are	O
on	O
what	O
was	O
then	O
the	O
high-road	O
between	O
Sweden	O
and	O
Brandenburg	O
the	O
unfortunate	O
.	O

The	O
Lion	O
of	O
the	O
North	O
was	O
no	O
doubt	O
an	O
estimable	O
person	O
and	O
acted	O
wholly	O
up	O
to	O
his	O
convictions	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
must	O
have	O
sadly	O
upset	O
the	O
peaceful	O
nuns	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
not	O
without	O
convictions	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
,	O
sending	O
them	O
out	O
on	O
to	O
the	O
wide	O
,	O
empty	O
plain	O
to	O
piteously	O
seek	O
some	O
life	O
to	O
replace	O
the	O
life	O
of	O
silence	O
here	O
.	O

From	O
nearly	O
all	O
the	O
windows	O
of	O
the	O
house	O
I	O
can	O
look	O
out	O
across	O
the	O
plain	O
,	O
with	O
no	O
obstacle	O
in	O
the	O
shape	O
of	O
a	O
hill	O
,	O
right	O
away	O
to	O
a	O
blue	O
line	O
of	O
distant	O
forest	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
the	O
west	O
side	O
uninterruptedly	O
to	O
the	O
setting	O
sun	O
--	O
nothing	O
but	O
a	O
green	O
,	O
rolling	O
plain	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
sharp	O
edge	O
against	O
the	O
sunset	O
.	O

I	O
love	O
those	O
west	O
windows	O
better	O
than	O
any	O
others	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
chosen	EVENT
my	O
bedroom	O
on	O
that	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
house	O
so	O
that	O
even	O
times	O
of	O
hair-brushing	O
may	O
not	O
be	O
entirely	O
lost	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
young	O
woman	O
who	O
attends	O
to	O
such	O
matters	O
has	O
been	O
taught	O
to	O
fulfil	O
her	O
duties	O
about	O
a	O
mistress	O
recumbent	O
in	O
an	O
easychair	O
before	O
an	O
open	O
window	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
to	O
profane	O
with	O
chatter	O
that	O
sweet	O
and	O
solemn	O
time	O
.	O

This	O
girl	O
is	O
grieved	O
at	O
my	O
habit	O
of	O
living	O
almost	O
in	O
the	O
garden	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
her	O
ideas	O
as	O
to	O
the	O
sort	O
of	O
life	O
a	O
respectable	O
German	O
lady	O
should	O
lead	O
have	O
got	O
into	O
a	O
sad	O
muddle	O
since	O
she	O
came	EVENT
to	O
me	O
.	O

The	O
people	O
round	O
about	O
are	O
persuaded	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
,	O
to	O
put	O
it	O
as	O
kindly	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
exceedingly	O
eccentric	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
news	O
has	O
travelled	EVENT
that	O
I	O
spend	O
the	O
day	O
out	O
of	O
doors	O
with	O
a	O
book	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
no	O
mortal	O
eye	O
has	O
ever	O
yet	O
seen	O
me	O
sew	O
or	O
cook	O
.	O

But	O
why	O
cook	O
when	O
you	O
can	O
get	O
some	O
one	O
to	O
cook	O
for	O
you	O
?	O

And	O
as	O
for	O
sewing	O
,	O
the	O
maids	O
will	O
hem	O
the	O
sheets	O
better	O
and	O
quicker	O
than	O
I	O
could	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
forms	O
of	O
needlework	O
of	O
the	O
fancy	O
order	O
are	O
inventions	O
of	O
the	O
evil	O
one	O
for	O
keeping	O
the	O
foolish	O
from	O
applying	O
their	O
heart	O
to	O
wisdom	O
.	O

We	O
had	O
been	O
married	O
five	O
years	O
before	O
it	O
struck	EVENT
us	O
that	O
we	O
might	O
as	O
well	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
this	O
place	O
by	O
coming	O
down	O
and	O
living	O
in	O
it	O
.	O

Those	O
five	O
years	O
were	O
spent	O
in	O
a	O
flat	O
in	O
a	O
town	O
,	O
and	O
during	O
their	O
whole	O
interminable	O
length	O
I	O
was	O
perfectly	O
miserable	O
and	O
perfectly	O
healthy	O
,	O
which	O
disposes	O
of	O
the	O
ugly	O
notion	O
that	O
has	O
at	O
times	O
disturbed	O
me	O
that	O
my	O
happiness	O
here	O
is	O
less	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
garden	O
than	O
to	O
a	O
good	O
digestion	O
.	O

And	O
while	O
we	O
were	O
wasting	O
our	O
lives	O
there	O
,	O
here	O
was	O
this	O
dear	O
place	O
with	O
dandelions	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
very	O
door	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
paths	O
grass-grown	O
and	O
completely	O
effaced	EVENT
,	O
in	O
winter	O
so	O
lonely	O
,	O
with	O
nobody	O
but	O
the	O
north	O
wind	O
taking	O
the	O
least	O
notice	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
May	O
--	O
in	O
all	O
those	O
five	O
lovely	O
Mays	O
--	O
no	O
one	O
to	O
look	O
at	O
the	O
wonderful	O
bird-cherries	O
and	O
still	O
more	O
wonderful	O
masses	O
of	O
lilacs	O
,	O
everything	O
glowing	O
and	O
blowing	O
,	O
the	O
virginia	O
creeper	O
madder	O
every	O
year	O
,	O
until	O
at	O
last	O
,	O
in	O
October	O
,	O
the	O
very	O
roof	O
was	O
wreathed	O
with	O
blood-red	O
tresses	O
,	O
the	O
owls	O
and	O
the	O
squirrels	O
and	O
all	O
the	O
blessed	O
little	O
birds	O
reigning	O
supreme	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
a	O
living	O
creature	O
ever	O
entering	O
the	O
empty	O
house	O
except	O
the	O
snakes	O
,	O
which	O
got	O
into	O
the	O
habit	O
during	O
those	O
silent	O
years	O
of	O
wriggling	O
up	O
the	O
south	O
wall	O
into	O
the	O
rooms	O
on	O
that	O
side	O
whenever	O
the	O
old	O
housekeeper	O
opened	O
the	O
windows	O
.	O

All	O
that	O
was	O
here	O
,	O
--	O
peace	O
,	O
and	O
happiness	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
reasonable	O
life	O
,	O
--	O
and	O
yet	O
it	O
never	O
struck	O
me	O
to	O
come	O
and	O
live	O
in	O
it	O
.	O

Looking	EVENT
back	O
I	O
am	O
astonished	EVENT
,	O
and	O
can	O
in	O
no	O
way	O
account	O
for	O
the	O
tardiness	O
of	O
my	O
discovery	EVENT
that	O
here	O
,	O
in	O
this	O
far-away	O
corner	O
,	O
was	O
my	O
kingdom	O
of	O
heaven	O
.	O

Indeed	O
,	O
so	O
little	O
did	O
it	O
enter	O
my	O
head	O
to	O
even	O
use	O
the	O
place	O
in	O
summer	O
,	O
that	O
I	O
submitted	O
to	O
weeks	O
of	O
seaside	O
life	O
with	O
all	O
its	O
horrors	O
every	O
year	O
;	O
until	O
at	O
last	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
spring	O
of	O
last	O
year	O
,	O
having	O
come	EVENT
down	O
for	O
the	O
opening	EVENT
of	O
the	O
village	O
school	O
,	O
and	O
wandering	EVENT
out	O
afterwards	O
into	O
the	O
bare	O
and	O
desolate	O
garden	O
,	O
I	O
do	O
n’t	O
know	O
what	O
smell	O
of	O
wet	O
earth	O
or	O
rotting	O
leaves	O
brought	O
back	O
my	O
childhood	O
with	O
a	O
rush	EVENT
and	O
all	O
the	O
happy	O
days	O
I	O
had	O
spent	O
in	O
a	O
garden	O
.	O

Shall	O
I	O
ever	O
forget	O
that	O
day	O
?	O

It	O
was	O
the	O
beginning	EVENT
of	O
my	O
real	O
life	O
,	O
my	O
coming	EVENT
of	O
age	O
as	O
it	O
were	O
,	O
and	O
entering	EVENT
into	O
my	O
kingdom	O
.	O

Early	O
March	O
,	O
gray	O
,	O
quiet	O
skies	O
,	O
and	O
brown	O
,	O
quiet	O
earth	O
;	O
leafless	O
and	O
sad	O
and	O
lonely	O
enough	O
out	O
there	O
in	O
the	O
damp	O
and	O
silence	O
,	O
yet	O
there	O
I	O
stood	O
feeling	O
the	O
same	O
rapture	O
of	O
pure	O
delight	EVENT
in	O
the	O
first	O
breath	EVENT
of	O
spring	O
that	O
I	O
used	O
to	O
as	O
a	O
child	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
five	O
wasted	O
years	O
fell	EVENT
from	O
me	O
like	O
a	O
cloak	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
world	O
was	O
full	O
of	O
hope	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
vowed	EVENT
myself	O
then	O
and	O
there	O
to	O
nature	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
been	O
happy	O
ever	O
since	O
.	O

My	O
other	O
half	O
being	O
indulgent	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
some	O
faint	O
thought	O
perhaps	O
that	O
it	O
might	O
be	O
as	O
well	O
to	O
look	O
after	O
the	O
place	O
,	O
consented	EVENT
to	O
live	O
in	O
it	O
at	O
any	O
rate	O
for	O
a	O
time	O
;	O
whereupon	O
followed	O
six	O
specially	O
blissful	O
weeks	O
from	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
April	O
into	O
June	O
,	O
during	O
which	O
I	O
was	O
here	O
alone	O
,	O
supposed	O
to	O
be	O
superintending	O
the	O
painting	O
and	O
papering	O
,	O
but	O
as	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
fact	O
only	O
going	O
into	O
the	O
house	O
when	O
the	O
workmen	O
had	O
gone	O
out	O
of	O
it	O
.	O

How	O
happy	O
I	O
was	O
!	O

I	O
do	O
n’t	O
remember	O
any	O
time	O
quite	O
so	O
perfect	O
since	O
the	O
days	O
when	O
I	O
was	O
too	O
little	O
to	O
do	O
lessons	O
and	O
was	O
turned	O
out	O
with	O
sugar	O
on	O
my	O
eleven	O
o’clock	O
bread	O
and	O
butter	O
on	O
to	O
a	O
lawn	O
closely	O
strewn	O
with	O
dandelions	O
and	O
daisies	O
.	O

The	O
sugar	O
on	O
the	O
bread	O
and	O
butter	O
has	O
lost	O
its	O
charm	O
,	O
but	O
I	O
love	O
the	O
dandelions	O
and	O
daisies	O
even	O
more	O
passionately	O
now	O
than	O
then	O
,	O
and	O
never	O
would	O
endure	O
to	O
see	O
them	O
all	O
mown	O
away	O
if	O
I	O
were	O
not	O
certain	O
that	O
in	O
a	O
day	O
or	O
two	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
pushing	O
up	O
their	O
little	O
faces	O
again	O
as	O
jauntily	O
as	O
ever	O
.	O

During	O
those	O
six	O
weeks	O
I	O
lived	O
in	O
a	O
world	O
of	O
dandelions	O
and	O
delights	O
.	O

The	O
dandelions	O
carpeted	O
the	O
three	O
lawns	O
,	O
--	O
they	O
used	O
to	O
be	O
lawns	O
,	O
but	O
have	O
long	O
since	O
blossomed	EVENT
out	O
into	O
meadows	O
filled	O
with	O
every	O
sort	O
of	O
pretty	O
weed	O
,	O
--	O
and	O
under	O
and	O
among	O
the	O
groups	O
of	O
leafless	O
oaks	O
and	O
beeches	O
were	O
blue	O
hepaticas	O
,	O
white	O
anemones	O
,	O
violets	O
,	O
and	O
celandines	O
in	O
sheets	O
.	O

The	O
celandines	O
in	O
particular	O
delighted	EVENT
me	O
with	O
their	O
clean	O
,	O
happy	O
brightness	O
,	O
so	O
beautifully	O
trim	O
and	O
newly	O
varnished	EVENT
,	O
as	O
though	O
they	O
too	O
had	O
had	O
the	O
painters	O
at	O
work	O
on	O
them	O
.	O

Then	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
anemones	O
went	EVENT
,	O
came	EVENT
a	O
few	O
stray	O
periwinkles	O
and	O
Solomon	O
’s	O
Seal	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
the	O
birdcherries	O
blossomed	EVENT
in	O
a	O
burst	EVENT
.	O

And	O
then	O
,	O
before	O
I	O
had	O
a	O
little	O
got	O
used	O
to	O
the	O
joy	O
of	O
their	O
flowers	O
against	O
the	O
sky	O
,	O
came	EVENT
the	O
lilacs	O
--	O
masses	O
and	O
masses	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
in	O
clumps	O
on	O
the	O
grass	O
,	O
with	O
other	O
shrubs	O
and	O
trees	O
by	O
the	O
side	O
of	O
walks	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
great	O
continuous	O
bank	O
of	O
them	O
half	O
a	O
mile	O
long	O
right	O
past	O
the	O
west	O
front	O
of	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
away	O
down	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
one	O
could	O
see	O
,	O
shining	O
glorious	O
against	O
a	O
background	O
of	O
firs	O
.	O

When	O
that	O
time	O
came	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
,	O
before	O
it	O
was	O
over	O
,	O
the	O
acacias	O
all	O
blossomed	EVENT
too	O
,	O
and	O
four	O
great	O
clumps	O
of	O
pale	O
,	O
silvery-pink	O
peonies	O
flowered	EVENT
under	O
the	O
south	O
windows	O
,	O
I	O
felt	O
so	O
absolutely	O
happy	O
,	O
and	O
blest	O
,	O
and	O
thankful	O
,	O
and	O
grateful	O
,	O
that	O
I	O
really	O
can	O
not	O
describe	O
it	O
.	O

My	O
days	O
seemed	O
to	O
melt	O
away	O
in	O
a	O
dream	O
of	O
pink	O
and	O
purple	O
peace	O
.	O