VII

ST JAMES'S PARK-THE MALL IN OLDEN DAYSSKETCHING IN LONDON-WESTMINSTER ABBEY

THE love of gardens seems to be deep in the hearts of all, both old and young, both rich and poor. In our happily increasing public gardens, where strict formality is at times, perhaps, desirable, we can look at the result as a beautiful arrangement of colour and design; but, to one who has the true love of flowers in his soul, much more perfect is the more irregular method of the old-fashioned garden, filled with herbaceous plants and the familiar old-world flowers of long ago the pinks, sweet-williams, day lilies, valerian, sweet peas, wall-flowers, Canterbury bells, lupins, roses, and a crowd of others. Occasionally one finds in some little out-of-the-way

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cottage garden a flower which has no longer any place in the more modern borders, yet captures one by its beauty. It is pleasant to see notably in St James's Park-a return to what is called oldfashioned gardening. Certainly the ground lends itself to the old ways, and when one hears the carping critic declaim against such old-fangled methods we can ask him what more he wantsfor what is more beautiful, more restful? what can better fill your heart and soul? The general effect, too, where Nature, and not the gardener alone, is at work-the nasturtiums climbing away upwards in an ecstasy of life-the large-hearted sunflowers swaying in the breeze in pride of their splendour-the hollyhocks and the dear old white lilies of St Mary- what a combination it all is! St James's Park is a delightful place to spend an afternoon in. The joy that the lake gives to the London children is indescribable. From the end of July (when their holidays begin) to the beginning of September they come in crowds (some from long distances), armed with empty pickle-bottles and small green butterfly nets. With the help of the latter, in some mysterious manner they contrive to catch quantities of fish about an inch long, which they keep in the bottles, and they always assure