LESSONS OUT OF DOORS. 117

not until he had been there a month that he was
allowed to have a plot of ground to cultivate for him-
self. Before this month was out more than half the
young gentlemen threw up the spade and dibble, but
there were always some who continued to till their
little garden. These were separated by narrow gravel
walks, edged with box. The boys were permitted to
choose any sort of cultivation—vegetables, flowers, or
fruits—the only condition being that they must stick

to what they began. |

Donald, the old gardener, was invested with abso-
lute authority in the enforcement of these rules; and
sometimes the young gardeners were on the point of
insurrection. Like other emeutes, however, in larger
governments, these were mostly unsuccessful. Princes —
have smiles as well as frowns, rewards as well as
punishments; and though “King Donald,” as he was
called, had neither blue ribbons nor embassies in his
gift, he had green-gages, seckel-pears, and delicious
grapes and peaches. Hence the latter part of summer
was almost always a time of peace in his government;
there was little work and much fruit, and subjects were
exceedingly quiet.

One day about noon, when everything was radiant
in the sun—it was about the middle of August—
Donald was cleaning and trimming the dead leaves

from a fine pomegranate tree, wheeled out on the north
terrace. The deep green of the foliage contrasting