A spring day—The Abbey fool—An old country rhyme—The old custom of All Fools’ Day revived—Old Adam full of splendour—A visit to the Abbey pool—Clematises “opened out” to the light—The borders full of spring flowers—Rose pruning—How roses should be pruned differently—Something about bees—The tool-house—Bright colours for the beehives—Scotch bees and their favourite colour—The old Shropshire bee—Bess and I attend the removal of the bees—Masks and bee-veils worn by gardeners—Burbidge whispers the charm—Bee folklore—Bess and I help to paint the bee-houses—The bees are freed—Thady Malone—His message—Mrs. Harley has sent for me—I go off to Homer—The last scene—A death of brilliant hope and happiness—Mouse and I return—The cuckoo—The joy of life, and the beauty of spring—The Sunday before Easter, or Palm Sunday—The old rite of the blessing of the boughs—All the young people in church wear the golden willow—The walk in the churchyard—After luncheon I read extracts from Sir Thomas Botelar’s “Church Registers”—Wenlock history in Tudor times—A word about Constance’s quilt—The revival of the May dance at Wenlock—A village fête—Bess to be May Queen—Marsh marigold the special flower—Bess’s delight at the thought of the fête—Burbidge gives his consent—Virtuous indignation of old Hester his wife—Easter Sunday—The Sacrament in the old church—In the afternoon we visit Thady, who is down with a bad leg—Bess takes him an Easter Egg—The mead of daffodils—“A bunch of daffs” for luck—How Burbidge had planted them—Our visit to old Timothy Theobalds—His tales of the old ways—Bull-baiting—Rejoicings at Loppington—The Madeley bull-baitings—Courage of the Vicar of Madeley and his eloquence—Stories of old May Day—Stories and old accounts locally—Puritan dislike of the festival—A beautiful spring morning—The summer flowers growing in strength—Beauty of the cloister-garth—Division of the violet roots—The great daffodils and their splendour—The gooseberry and currant cages—Burbidge’s dislike to bullfinches—The double primroses, their beauty and charm—Preparations for the May dance—All the old servants are occupied in making the May dance a success—A talk with Thady through the window—A day in the woods—Birds’ nests—Luncheon under the greenwood tree—Fairy-stories—We wander home—Quotations about sleep—The delights of a long day in the woods
MAY
The May-pole—The dances—Bess’s dress—Burbidge’s fears for his garden—Old Master Theobalds is taken ill—He revives, thanks to Auguste’s broth—A talk of old days—Wakes and Wishing Wells—Grinning through a horse-collar, a rustic accomplishment in the past—A walk to the Wrekin to drink out of the bird-bowls—Susie Langford—Cock-fighting at Wenlock and elsewhere—Old customs and sinful practices—Traditions about winners of the ring—Tom Moody—His pet horse “Old Soul”—Tom’s wild drives and leaps—How Tom was once found in a bog—Tom and the Squire—Tom’s funeral—View-holloa over the grave—An afternoon in the ruined church—The story of St. Milburgha as told by William of Malmesbury—Words about the monasteries from many sources—The pity of the wreckage and destruction of so much that was beautiful in the Reformation—Thady brings me a “Jack Squealer”—I am taken off bird-nesting—I am shown the nest of a redstart, that of a black ouzel, and one of a Jack Smut (black cap) on a bramble—A beautiful night in the ruins—Narcissi in blossom like a mist of stars at my feet—I think of all who have passed through the cloisters—The end of the Abbey Church, a quarry for road-mending and for the building of pigsties and cottages—My late tulips—A long walk in the early morning—Beauty of the early hours of the day—The country in full splendour—Oak Apple Day—Little boys going to school with the badge of Stuart loyalty in their caps—The chevy—I pluck a bunch of anemones—Poor Bess in disgrace—High words between Célestine and Mrs. Langdale—How pleasant life would be without its worries—Silence in dogs one of their chief charms and merits
JUNE
Peace again in the household—Bedding-out the east garden—“Cherry-pie” geraniums—Scarlet verbenas—Clematis up the pillars, a future glory—Planting the tubs—Sweet-smelling plants for the evening—The hedgehog—Mouse and it are reconciled—A talk about hedgehogs—Auguste and “les escargots”—What Auguste will do with them—The growing demand in London—Bess and I enjoy the summer—The forsaken thrush’s nest—Old Timothy and the yellow water wagtail’s nest—A youthful memory—Old customs in Shropshire—Apple howlers—The old belief in the devil—Modern thought has blotted him out—The old Pagan Belief and how apple howling was but the last act of a Pagan rite—Domestic service and old Timothy’s views—Servants old and new—How man and maid were engaged in the old days—A talk about stocks, and pillory—The old punishments at Wenlock—Judy Cookson in the scold’s bridle—The sale of a wife—With a happy ending—A turn in the bee garden—White Martagon lilies, English peonies, briars, columbines, lupins, Oriental poppies, all about to open—A letter from Mrs. Stanley—Bess’s views on London—A walk in the garden after a night’s rain—The beauty of the rose—Old and new all are always welcome—A bush of rosemary—Old saws and customs—Evelyn’s enjoyment of sweet plants—The old Hampshire garden—The burning bush—Laon Cathedral—Pinks, their delicious scent—Many sorts, but all delightful—The herb garden—A word about herbs—The single peony—Old beliefs about it—A drink of “peonina tea” from the Witch—Mustard as a manure for tulips—Woodruff, its sweet scent—Wormwood—Hester Burbidge a culler of herbs—Burbidge’s despotic rule—Camomile, clove-basil, and mallow, all grown for medicinal purposes—Bess’s views “on cherubims”—Bess’s dream—A talk about a butterfly collection—Mrs. Eccles and her request—The sprig of bay—The old Roman belief—We meet Hals—Delight of the children—Bess wishes to buy a brother—A week of holidays—Charles Kingsley’s Water-Babies—Long summer days—Walks and rides in the twilight—The wonderful glory of June—Thady Malone—The field on the Edge—The leveret—Mouse retrieves it, but does it no harm—Heaven—Bess declares there must be dogs there—Thady’s tale