A Tour Round My Garden Author:Alphonse Karr Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE WREN. LETTER IV. THE START- COSTUME—THE WREN—THE MASON BEE- ASTOINETTE. FHE CHRYSIS—MARIE I Have started, my dear friend, and two things ... more »already embarrass me. In the first place, I do not know at what precise distance from the point of departure we must be, to entitle us to employ in our recitals the emphatic pretext which gives so much importance to travellers— We set out, we sailed, we saw, we noticed, we drank, and so forth. Have I any right to make use of this, the true travelling language? And if I do not, will my journey be a real journey ? My second difficulty is—in the accounts you no doubt prepare for me, at the same time that I am inditing a description of my journey, you have an inappreciable advantage over me. If, upon reading some narration, a little extraordinary, or a description somewhat supernatural, I indulge in an " Ah ! ah 1" or a gesture of incredulity, or even of admiration mingled with doubt, you will answer me: " Go and see it!" It is only three thousand miles off. But if, on the contrary, I astonish you by anything unusual or prodigious, I have not the same resource ; I can only say to you—" Look for your- self; it is on your right hand or your left; it is on the rosebush at the end of the walk, or upon the periwinkle at your feet;" or, " Step a little on one side; that which I am describing is in the moss you are treading upon: you may destroy my proof." I have nothing then to do but to tell you the truth; whilst you, satisfied that it is a general belief that travellers at least exaggerate, will not be restrained by a virtue which will bring you no honour, but will simply cause you to be accused of dryness and poverty of imagination. I saw your travelling costume, my dear friend; I owe you a description of mine: it is ...« less