THE NOVEL " And now, ere l conclude, let me mention you, my most faithfui fellow-workers, my helpers and supporters, you, my heloved green trees, that l have planted or grown from seed, and proned and grafted, you, my companions, rising from earth towards the skies. You know how ofte n you have whispered to me, and how many thoughts you have showered down u pon me with your faliing blossoms. Many are the quiet refresh ing hours l have had amongst you, and many the dreams beneath the kindly shadow of your leaves. When tor·mented by my enemies you have sheltered me and allayed the agitation of my heart. If some day one sh ould come hither and inquire why itwas that l warked much more in summer than in winter, tell him that in the summer you were near me. "The secret of my fertility as a writer was communion with nature."
