GARDENING.
One day I observed my mother put on her things very slily, call her
governess and tell her to put on her things also, and come out. I
thought to myself, "What can this mean? My mother has put on her
clothes, called the footman and ordered the carriage, and has taken her
governess with her." I guess it is something that I am not to know; for
if it were not, I certainly would have gone with her. As I did not feel
very well, I thought that I would lie down on my bed and take a nap. In
a couple of hours my mother came home, and coming into the room where
my baby-house was, took me out of the bed, without saying a word to me
about her having been out. I burned all the time to know what she had
been out for. I could hardly eat my dinner, and when tea came I could
eat nothing. The next day, at twelve, a man rang at the hall-door,
and my mother ran down to let him in, a thing that she had never done
before, and which made me so curious that I could not stand. In a few
minutes my mother came running up stairs, and put a little bundle into
my hands. I opened it very quickly, and what did I see but a little
hoe, rake, spade and wheelbarrow! I thought that I could never thank
my mother enough. When she saw how pleased I was, she told me that I
should have a piece of ground, and she would get me some seeds, and
she would also immediately make me a gardening dress, so that I could
commence the next day. Oh, how I longed for the morrow to come, and
when the morning dawned I was almost crazy. My mother put on my dress,
and giving me my tools took me into the garden, where I took my first
lesson in gardening. I thought it was delightful. My mother told me
that I should soon get along very fast, and that I should plant some
flower and vegetable seeds. I felt very smart, and began to work away
quite industriously, making improvement in the looks of my garden.
When my mother appeared and told me breakfast was ready, I could
hardly believe it, the time had passed so quickly. The next morning
my mother waked me at half past five, and dressing me took me out. As
we were going along to the garden we saw by the road-side a flock of
geese, and as we passed along they set up a tremendous hissing. Oh, how
frightened I was; but my mother laughed at my fears, and told me not
to be afraid, as they would not hurt me. When I got to the garden, I
was all of a tremble, and for five minutes I could not do any thing.
I got the garden all finished that morning before breakfast, and so
I went in, and changing my dress went out to take a walk. As I went
along the paths, I could not help feeling overcome. It was a beautiful
spring morning, the dew was on the grass, and the birds were singing
their morning song of praise to the Maker of all things, as they soared
towards heaven. When my breakfast bell rang, I came in and told my
mother of my pleasant walk, and she seemed very glad. The next morning
my mother showed me how to plant seeds, after which she watered them,
as she said the watering-pot was too large for me, but that she was
going to buy me one, so that I could water my plants when they came
up. In a day or two my mother, her governess and I went into the city
and bought me a little watering pot, and a little book that treated
of gardening, which I put with my other books. One morning, about two
weeks after planting my seeds, I was surprised to see several little
green things which I thought were weeds, and I was just going to pull
them up, when I happened to think that perhaps they might not be weeds
after all, and that I would stop and ask my mother. My mother appearing
up the gravel walks just then, I asked her what they were, and she told
me that they were the plants just beginning to come up, and that I must
water them every morning carefully, and soon they would come up higher
and higher; then the leaves would come out, and at last little buds
would shoot forth and turn into flowers. But in order to have them do
so, I must keep all the weeds away from them, water them morning and
evening, and put up sticks for the running ones.