All in a garden fair; the simple story of three boys ... - University Library

ALL AY A GARDEN FALR. 125
of inspiration, which never comes. He is getting
old now, and he may some day soon die with
the novel unwritten ; he may even die of that
obscure and ol)stinate disease—novel ou the
brain.
Something of this kind oppressed M. Phili-
l)on. His Thought held him fast, and he could
not fmd fitting words in which to express it.
It was not until many days of wrestling—not
till he had turned the Thought over and over in
his mind, and looked at it from every point of
view, that he found freedom of speech. Had
it been term-time, one trembles to think of un-
corrected exercises and neglected rude trans-
lations.
' He will come round some time,' said Claire
to the boys. ' Do not seem to be minding him.'
It mattered very little whether they minded
him or not, because he observed nothing.
It was in the evening, when the boys had
gone, that deliverance came. Claire had gone
as far as the garden gate with them ; then she
returned and laid her hand u]ion hor father's