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_THE WOODLAWN SERIES._
Bertie and the Gardeners:
OR,
THE WAY TO BE HAPPY.
BY
MRS MADELINE LESLIE.
AUTHOR OF "AUNT HATTIE'S LIBRARY FOR BOYS AND
GIRLS," ETC.
CHICAGO:
HENRY A. SUMNER & COMPANY
1880.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by
A. R. BAKER,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
[Illustration: Winnie catching the Snow-flakes.
Vol. VI., p. 103]
[Illustration: THE WOODLAWN SERIES.]
TO
HARRY, NELLIE, AND WILLIE SAMPSON;
ALSO,
To the Memory of their Deceased Brothers and Sister,
BERTIE, FRANKEY AND EMMA,
THESE LITTLE BOOKS ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.
If the perusal prompt them and other readers to imitate the virtues of
our hero in his efforts to _be_ good, and to _do_ good, the wishes of
the author will be realized.
BERTIE; OR, THE WOODLAWN SERIES.
BY MRS. MADELINE LESLIE.
16 mo. 6 vols., Illustrated.
I. BERTIE'S HOME.
II. BERTIE AND THE CARPENTERS.
III. BERTIE AND THE MASONS.
IV. BERTIE AND THE PLUMBERS.
V. BERTIE AND THE PAINTERS.
VI. BERTIE AND THE GARDENERS.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE NEW FARMER, 11
CHAPTER II.
THE SICK WORKMAN, 21
CHAPTER III.
THE MERRY GARDENER, 30
CHAPTER IV.
VISITORS TO WOODLAWN, 40
CHAPTER V.
THE SORROWING FATHER, 51
CHAPTER VI.
CLEARING THE CREEK, 64
CHAPTER VII.
PAT'S VISIT HOME, 74
CHAPTER VIII.
LETTER FROM PAT, 84
CHAPTER IX.
BERTIE'S SPELLING MATCH, 97
CHAPTER X.
BERTIE'S PRESENTS, 107
CHAPTER XI.
THE HEART AND HAND, 118
CHAPTER XII.
VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA, 127
CHAPTER XIII.
BERTIE'S REWARD, 138
CHAPTER XIV.
BERTIE AND THE NEWSBOY, 148
CHAPTER XV.
THE LAST CHAPTER, 155
Bertie and the Gardeners.
CHAPTER I.
THE NEW FARMER.
The new house at Woodlawn was nearly completed; and Mr. Curtis now set
to work in earnest, clearing the grounds of the rubbish, in order to
make the terraces and lay out his avenue in front.
Those who have read the other books about Bertie, will know that two
wide avenues, enclosed by handsome iron gates, had been already made;
one winding along on the shores of Lake Shawsheen, the other entering
from a higher point which led through a grove toward the house where
the enchanting view of lawn and water burst at once on the vision.
But in the vicinity of the house, no grading had been done, on account
of the vast amount of bricks, lime, mortar-bins, wood and chips lying
scattered in every direction.
The house, elegant in proportion and finish, stood about a hundred
rods in front of a high, grassy mound, upon the top of which a cluster
of chestnut-trees cast a pleasant shade.
The rich, green turf on the lawn which sloped to the lake, was dotted
with magnificent old trees undisturbed for a century. Back of the
house, or rather beyond the barn, was another swell or mound, which
like the first, was so regular in its form as almost to excite the
belief that it was artificial. Indeed, from the fact that two
tomahawks were found buried in the spot where the barn stood, Mr.
Curtis inferred that it might have been used for the grand council of
the Indian tribe, and that here they buried all hostilities.
"Certainly," Mrs. Curtis remarked, "this was a pleasant view to take
of it," and as there was no one to dispute the fact, the larger mound
was called "Peace Mountain."
Mr. Curtis, or the Squire, as the Oxford villagers called him, was
now in his element. Every pleasant morning he might be seen, his
wife leaning on his arm, walking over the premises, planning the
improvements to be made, and often Bertie and Winifred accompanied
them.
When the weather was not so clear, the gentleman and his son hurried
from one part of the grounds to the other, directing Tom Grant, or
measuring with a ten-foot pole.
There was a nice sunny plat containing sixteen acres back of Peace
Mountain, which had been ploughed earlier in the season, to be in
readiness next year for a garden and orchard. Besides this there were
to be heart-shaped and diamond-shaped figures and circlets cut in the
lawn, near the house, for flowers of every hue.
It was now October, and the most must be made of the fine weather.
Ploughing and preparing the ground for agricultural purposes, was what
the farmers in the neighborhood were accustomed to, and therefore help
was easily to be obtained.
Through the summer, Mr. Curtis had borne in mind that he should need a
skilful farmer to till his land, one who understood the science as
well as the art of farming to the best advantage. He greatly approved
Thomas Grant's industry, and the zeal he manifested in all that
concerned his master's interests; but he feared the man was so
attached to the old ways of managing land, that he would be unwilling
to avail himself of the improved implements of agriculture, or the
new-fangled notions, as he called mowing-machines, horse-rakes,
sowing-machines, etc., etc.
But one noon, while his oxen were eating their dinner, Mr. Curtis
found him sitting under the shade of a tree, examining with great
interest the latest report of the State Agricultural Society.
Turning to a picture of a Devon cow, he exclaimed:
"Well, Squire, if Adam carried such cows as that with him when he went
outside of Eden, I think he might have set up another paradise To my
thinking, Squire, nothing can beat that cow."
Mr. Curtis threw himself on the grass, wishing to test Tom's ideas of
farming; and after conversing half an hour, resolved to hire him for
his farmer.
But still it was necessary for the gentleman to employ a gardener, one
who loved flowers and had a taste for landscape gardening.
"I must advertise, Cecilia," he said one day to his wife; "I want
exactly the right kind of a man for there is a great opportunity to
improve and beautify the place."
While his papa and mamma were talking, Bertie sat on a cricket before
a wooden chair which he had borrowed of Mrs. Taylor from the kitchen.
Winnie was by his side, and he was teaching her to make a penny spin
around so that it looked like a ball.