large/9583/letterstohischildren_1510_librivox_64kb_mp3/letterstohischildren_41_roosevelt_64kb_4
large/9583/letterstohischildren_1510_librivox_64kb_mp3/letterstohischildren_41_roosevelt_64kb
English
9583
This morning Mother and I walked around the White House grounds as usual. I think I get more fond of flowers every year. The grounds are now at that high stage of beauty in which they will stay for the next two months. The buckeyes are in bloom, the pink dogwood, and the fragrant lilacs, which are almost the loveliest of the bushes; and then the flowers, including the lily of the valley. I am dictating in the office. Archie is out by the sandbox playing with the hose. THIS MORNING MOTHER AND I WALKED AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS AS USUAL I THINK I GET MORE FOND OF FLOWERS EVERY YEAR THE GROUNDS ARE NOW AT THAT HIGH STAGE OF BEAUTY IN WHICH THEY WILL STAY FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS THE BUCKEYES ARE IN BLOOM THE PINK DOGWOOD AND THE FRAGRANT LILACS WHICH ARE ALMOST THE LOVELIEST OF THE BUSHES AND THEN THE FLOWERS INCLUDING THE LILY OF THE VALLEY I AM DICTATING IN THE OFFICE ARCHIE IS OUT BY THE SAND BOX PLAYING WITH THE HOSE
rious and rather pathetic thing is that, although it must be a hundred years since the place was deserted, there are still multitudes of flowers which must have come from those in the old garden. There are iris and narcissus and a little blue flower, with a neat, prim, clean smell that makes one feel as if it ought to be put with lavender into chests of fresh old linen. The narcissus in particular was growing around everywhere, together with real wild flowers like the painted columbine and star of Bethlehem. It was a lovely spot on a headland overlooking a broad inlet from the Potomac. There was also the old graveyard or grave plot in which were the gravestones of Washington's father and mother and grandmother, all pretty nearly ruined. It was lovely warm weather and Mother and I enjoyed our walk through the funny lonely old country. Mocking-birds, meadow-larks, Carolina wrens, cardinals, and field sparrows were singing cheerfully. We came up the river in time to get home last evening.  DESTROYED BUT A CURIOUS AND RATHER PATHETIC THING IS THAT ALTHOUGH IT MUST BE A HUNDRED YEARS SINCE THE PLACE WAS DESERTED THERE ARE STILL MULTITUDES OF FLOWERS WHICH MUST HAVE COME FROM THOSE IN THE OLD GARDEN THERE ARE IRIS AND NARCISSUS AND A LITTLE BLUE FLOWER WITH A NEAT PRIM CLEAN SMELL THAT MAKES ONE FEEL AS IF IT OUGHT TO BE PUT WITH LAVENDER INTO CHESTS OF FRESH OLD LINEN THE NARCISSUS IN PARTICULAR WAS GROWING AROUND EVERYWHERE TOGETHER WITH REAL WILD FLOWERS LIKE THE PAINTED COLUMBINE AND STAR OF BETHLEHEM IT WAS A LOVELY SPOT ON A HEADLAND OVERLOOKING A BROAD INLET FROM THE POTOMAC THERE WAS ALSO THE OLD GRAVEYARD OR GRAVE PLOT IN WHICH WERE THE GRAVESTONES OF WASHINGTON'S FATHER AND MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER ALL PRETTY NEARLY RUINED IT WAS LOVELY WARM WEATHER AND MOTHER AND I ENJOYED OUR WALK THROUGH THE FUNNY LONELY OLD COUNTRY MOCKING BIRDS MEADOW LARKS CAROLINA WRENS CARDINALS AND FIELD SPARROWS WERE SINGING CHEERFULLY WE CAME UP THE RIVER IN TIME TO GET HOME LAST EVENING
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