Ralph Henry Barbour

“ But when he had obeyed and was halfway to the corner of the house Roger called after him:
“Denis!”
“Yes, sor?”
“I'll accept those congratulations for future reference.”
The recipient of the flowers was for a moment puzzled over the message contained in the accompanying envelope. When she understood she laughed quietly and lifted the blossoms from their basket very tenderly. The message, penned on the back of one of Roger’s cards, ran:
Flowers his vegetation. Vegetation his something has grows to be hadmired. Hon the other ’and, vegetables hare made to heat. A flower his not a vegetable. ”

“ Denis smirked deprecatingly.
“Sure, she’s lavin’ them details to me, sor.
“Oh, I see; you’re master of the situation, eh? Well, make the most of your authority before marriage, Denis, for, while I don’t want to discourage you, you know, yet I will give you what is vulgarly known as a straight tip to the effect that you'll have damn’ little to say about the details afterward!”
“Be gor, ’tis the truth yer spake!” said Denis, ruefully. “For on top of all else, sor, she do be a widdy, and widdies is the divil, sor, askin’ yer pardon.”
“Hum!” said Roger, thoughtfully. ”

“ At least, it is a fact that a certain amount of opposition is necessary to most men to produce earnest endeavor, and certain that more good work has been blighted by ease than by hardship. Life was going very well with Roger. ”