A Red Wallflower

they came was not clearly understood, neither was it at all to be gathered from their way of life or business. Business properly they had none; and their way of life seemed one of placid conten

easure, surely his own country would have been a better place to seek it. Nobody could solve this riddle. That Colonel Gainsborough had anything to be ashamed of, or anything to be afraid of, entered nobody's head for a moment. Fear or shame were unknown to that g

side the house. Christopher Bounder took care of the garden and the cow, and cut and made the hay from one or two little fields. And Mrs. Barker, his sister, was a very capable woman indeed, and quite equal to the combined duties of housekeeper, cook, lady's maid, and housemaid, which she fulfilled to everybody's satisfaction, including her own. However, after two or three years in Seaforth these duties were

as he came at the budding gooseberry bushes. He was a typical Englishman; ruddy, fair-skinned, blue-eyed, of very solid build, and showing the national tendency to flesh. He was a handsome man, and not without a sufficiency of self-consciousness, both as

, as she stepped back from the door a

Now everything will be coming all together in a heap in two weeks more. That's the way o' this b

as

go. They'll be showin'

n you get me som

s for

used to, anyway; and I thought greens is kind o' seasonable at this time o'

he old ge

to kill hissel

n a business manner. 'When a man don't care no more what he eats, the next th

t's

to be

, 'but he ain't doin' the best he can wi's life, fo

can take a knife and a basket

go fur to

your affidavit, with all there is to d

no diversion whatsomever when young Mr. Dallas don't come along. She just mo

ance,' said the gardener, who was in his way quite a

,' repeated t

iss Esther was a little older, now, we should see no

ed to ask. I don't want no more complications, f

d blue eye as he looked at his sister. 'Do you expect they will, Sarah? Miss Esthe

you'd go fur to call handsom

Perhaps one ought to have a bit of it

. And I allays thought rosy cheeks went with beauty; and Missie has n

t two eye

wo eyes?' said th

in't two such eyes as Miss Esther's between here and Boston. Look out; other folk will find it out soon if you don

years is a long time. And Miss Esther ain't twelve yet, neit

it yet. I'll

, and Esther too did the like; in hers there was a small trowel, for 'she might find something,' she said. Esther always said that, although hitherto her 'findings' had amounted to nothing of any account; unless, indeed, I correct that, and say, i

, Christopher?' she asked a

for some greens. She has a wild tooth for

of greens c

the field are good for eating, at the different times o' the year; even here in

ry? than Seafort

Miss Esther! That's the place for gardens; and the fields is allays green; and

Esther gleefully.

ough, cutting winds, with skies of grey and gloom,-one of these perfect days of a lost Paradise stands in a singular setting. It was such a day when Esther and Christopher went after dandelions. Still, balmy air, a tender sky slightly veiled with spring mistiness, light and warmth so gentle that they were a blessing to a weary brain, yet so abundant that every bud and leaf and plant and flower was unfolding and out-springing and stretching upward and dispensing abroad all it had of sweetness. The air was filled with sw

e, and very sober grown people too; for her mother's last years had been dulled with sickness, and her father's with care, even if he had not been-which he was-of a taciturn and sombre deportment in the best of times. And this last year past had been one heavy with mourning. So it

the ground the two went over this morning. This morning, however, glorified everything; the fields looked soft, the moss and lichens on the rocks were moist and fresh coloured, grey and green and brown; the buds and young leafage of the trees were of every lovely hue and shade that young vegetation can ta

g for cresses

hat she must have boiled greens for dinner; and her will mus

h of stout-looking leaves growing in the grass; then made

they, Ch

Miss Esther. Leo

t the flowers a

ey was out, Sarah might

d tell better

be worth the fi

ing. He did not seem to need th

stopher, that you are alwa

o' their face

their faces,' sai

little. 'Then what are

e of them together show

our father, the colonel, as far off as

now papa

eontodon. See, Miss Esther, l

cina

oth. Leontodon comes from two Greek words which mean a lion and a

ny kinds of leaves!'

aid the gardener sagely. 'Ain

dandelions, but Esther eagerly sought for something more ornamental. And she found it. With exclamations of deep delight she endeavoured to dig up a root of bloodroot which l

' to do with this

it out in my gard

notions. Now the Sanguinaria likes just what it has got here; a little bit of rich soil, unde

aid Esther. 'I c

ensis. That's its

the other

say. Look here, Miss Esther,

ad leaves and sticks from a little low bunch of purple flowers.

grow either,

ee,-ain't that nice?' he said, a

e depths of her breast, as

we'd find the other, if we had time to

t ot

r. But I'm thinking, them

ely little thing? Wha

ll it liverleaf. We ought to find the Aqu

ot dandelio

up to the branches of a young tree, the red blossoms of which were not q

t is Ace

maple, Mi

Do you know everything t

e's no man living that

n's life to know just

oning all that grows i

at number of plants on

tre

rees pla

opher, are those

er; they're mo

know they're

questioner, partly at the question; nevert

ever, Miss Esther; tha

re weed

hristopher grimly. 'They're

heard you say, they ran over everything, and wouldn't stay in their plac

same token I've been trimming the box. Th

isn't

very distinguished family indeed

ee what is a we