Harper's Round Table, October 20, 1896

A restless princess wanders her lavish garden, irritated by a quarrel and the endless chatter of fragrant flowers that seem to demand her attention. When she peers through a hedge she discovers an unexpected expanse of plain potatoes and a lone, gruff laborer digging with tireless focus. Their terse exchange reveals a clash of worlds: the royal's comfortable beauty against the stark practicality of those who toil beneath the soil.

Intrigued by this contrast, the princess orders her page to bring the worker to the palace, only to be told he is too busy to come to her. Undeterred, she decides to leave the safety of her chambers and walk out into the open field, confronting the raw, unadorned reality beyond the palace walls. As she steps onto the dewy grass, the garden’s talkative flowers fall silent, leaving her to wonder what other truths lie hidden just beyond the hedge.