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31
THE COTTAGE GARDEN.
The Cottage Garden shows a face
Of heartsease and of herb-of-grace,
Such Sunday cleanness and so bright,
In lavender and pink and white.
Of heartsease and of herb-of-grace,
Such Sunday cleanness and so bright,
In lavender and pink and white.
With little beds in formal box,
And rows of stocks and hollyhocks,
Clove-gillyflowers and sops-in-wine,
And jessamine and eglantine.
And rows of stocks and hollyhocks,
Clove-gillyflowers and sops-in-wine,
And jessamine and eglantine.
Now where the lilies bowed their heads,
Like angel-folk in the garden-beds,
Now in the equinoctial weather
The China asters press together.
Like angel-folk in the garden-beds,
Now in the equinoctial weather
The China asters press together.
Never was such a damask seen
On gown of Empress or of Queen;
Never was silk or taffety
So finely pranked to take the eye.
On gown of Empress or of Queen;
Never was silk or taffety
So finely pranked to take the eye.
Pink, purple, white, in serried masses,
That give no hint of leaves or grasses;
The China asters ope like suns
Their cheerful constellations.
That give no hint of leaves or grasses;
The China asters ope like suns
Their cheerful constellations.
The rose, the rose's hues are dull,
No snapdragon is beautiful,
Beside the China aster's grace,
Who shows a new-washed morning face.
No snapdragon is beautiful,
Beside the China aster's grace,
Who shows a new-washed morning face.
32
As though a peacock changed his hues
To rose and purple, whites and blues,
The Cottage Garden spreads a train
Of colours from the rainbow ta'en.
To rose and purple, whites and blues,
The Cottage Garden spreads a train
Of colours from the rainbow ta'en.
The Cottage Garden shows a flare
Of splendour to the evening star;
A country girl, so beautiful,
She makes the mincing ladies dull.
Of splendour to the evening star;
A country girl, so beautiful,
She makes the mincing ladies dull.
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