"It does not do those who are condemned to hear them much good." "It enables them to exercise the vir tue of patience." "I think if you lived here, your opinion would be different." Mrs. Evans had no children, and hence was not quite as forbearing towards their recreations and follies as she might have been. She could not see why children need make any more noise than grown persons; she thought they had no right to make as much. Boys are not as large as men, therefore she concluded they had no right to make as much noise as men. But she found that the facts did not agree with this logical conclusion. It was notorious that boys made more noise than men. Indeed, she seemed to think that boys were little else than noise-making machines, nuisances which ought to be | flowers was the order of the day. But gardening had engaged their attention, and Mrs. Evans's ears had rest. She was sure, however, that the calm would not last long, and that when the urchins began again, they would make up the temporary deficiency with interest. Some amiable people are sure that if boys do right to-day, they will certainly do wrong to-morrow. Hence it is always proper to regard them with suspicion and blame. But let us turn our attention to the matter of gardening. The teacher had suggested the idea to one or two of the leading boys, and they entered into it with enthusiasm. They induced their parents to assign them a bit of land for gardens, and all their leisure hours were spent in preparing it for flowers. Their example became contagious. All the boys rushed into gardening. Those who could not procure ground that was inclosed, appropriated portions pertaining to the highway, and inclosed them with miniature fences, which the street cows gazed at with great gravity as they chewed the cud, and their fellowfreemen, the porkers, rooted down to see if there were any corn or potatoes within which they might root up. Boys, like men and women, like to do what other folks do. It was not strange, therefore, that the cultivation of ΑΠ the gardens in the vicinity, which contained flowers, were laid under contribution by those who were under the influence of this newly awakened zeal. The supply was limited, and the demand great. What was to be done? Flower gardens without flowers were not exactly the thing. Some thought of turning utilitarians, and of filling their gardens with corn and cabbages, but the fashion set exclusively in the direction of the ornamental, and the rebellious attempt was not made. At length it occurred to James Halsey, that spring was nursing in the woods and fields many choice flowers which she would readily consent should be transferred to gardens, provided they were treated tenderly. Dame Nature is not willing that any of her productions should be treated unkindly and harshly. If it is done, she withdraws her countenance and support, which is sure to cause them to fade and die. on the other hand, men treat her offspring kindly, she will assist in rearing them, and in bringing them to a higher perfection than they would have attained in the places where they were born. 166 If. Come," said James to Herbert Alfred, on the morning of a holiday, "let us go into the woods and find some wild flowers, and plant them in our gardens." "I never knew any body to plant wild flowers in the garden," said Herbert. Any body can see them in the woods.” "True, but it is some trouble to go to the woods to see them. I think they 66 will look very pretty in dens." dens. our gar- flowering shrubs, which were really "If we could find some which nobody has seen, and were to pretend we got them from somebody's garden, a great way off, it would do, I think. Folks would think a great deal of them, then." "As I stock my garden to please myself, I do not care whether other folks think a great deal of my flowers or not. I wish to get those that are really beautiful, and enjoy them." 66 James did not enter into controversy with him. He was content with perceiving and enjoying their beauty, which, Well, I will go with you, but you to his eye, was as great as if they had must not let any body know it." "Why not?" "Because I don't want any body else to get any. If all the boys get them, there will be no use in having them." Herbert was like many grown-up people. They want many things, not because they regard them as beautiful, but because others regard them as so. And they regard things as valuable in proportion as they are uncommon, and think a thing has lost all desirableness if some other person has one like it. In their weakness and follies, boys and girls are quite as bad as men and women. been reared in Queen Victoria's garden. James had the rare habit of thinking for himself-of forming his own opinions. It happened that both boys had more flowers than they had space to put them in. James perceived his surplus, and offered them to the first one that came along. He knew he would have an opportunity of disposing of them in a short time, for the boys were constantly passing round to see what progress each was making. Herbert having set out such of his collection as he had room for, hastened to destroy the rest, before any one should come along to ask for them. He came to see James just as James was in the act of giving his surplus to Allen Irvine, a boy who was in feeble health, and unable to go to the forest himself. James and Herbert furnished themselves with baskets and tools, and set out for a forest which covered the southern side of a hill. The south wind was whispering gently to the violets, and other spring flowers, to come forth and show themselves, and, under "What made you such a fool as to the warm rays of the sun, they were give him those flowers?" said Herbert, beginning to do so. The boys soon as soon as Allen was out of hearing. “I did not want them," said James, filled their baskets with flowers and 66 Well, why did you not throw them to get them himself, and unable to give away?" "Because they had good roots, and will do well in his garden." "What of that? I didn't mean to have any body know we had them till it was too late to get any more. Now every boy in the place will get them, and very likely they will find handsomer ones than ours." "That will not make ours the less beautiful." "If I wanted to give them away, I would not have given them to James Allen." 66 Why not?" "Because he is poor and sickly, and you never can get any thing from him in pay." any thing in return. Herbert's last remark seems to imply that, in his opinion, thankfulness was a commodity easily obtained. I do not agree with him. It is not often that true thankfulness, either to God or man, follows the reception of favors. I am sure Herbert would have felt very little thankfulness for any favors done him. We must do good for its own sake, and not in order to receive benefits in return, or thankfulness from those on whom our favors are conferred. In a certain garden, the property of a stern old man, there was a yellow rose, the only one in the village. The owner rejoiced in his sole proprietorship, and refused all applications for shoots, which "He seemed very thankful, and that, it threw up abundantly from its roots I think, is good pay." "If you call thankfulness good pay, you can soon get rid of every thing you have." Herbert, in the conversation above recorded, exhibited some further traits of character which are frequently found in grown-up people. There are those who, if they have favors to bestow, will carefully confine them to those who have ability to return them. What they would call acts of benevolence are simply investments, on which they hope and expect to recover a high rate of interest. Of course, such persons know nothing of the pleasures of benevolence. James had experience of the pleasure of benevolence when he gave his flowers to Allen. He gave them to him because he was poor and sickly, unable One day, a poor ragged boy, who never attended school, and who was looked down upon and often ill treated by the school boys on account of his poverty, brought James a shoot from said rose. "Where did you get this?" said James, as the boy, with evident satisfaction, placed it in his hand. “ I got it at Mr. Storms"." "How did you get it?" "I have been at work in his garden." "Did he give you leave to take it ?" "No." "Do you suppose I want stolen goods?" "I didn't steal it." "How did you get it, then ?" James was half indignant and half "That is no reason why you should S., who had unexpectedly returned, met steal it for me." "I didn't steal it. Mr. Storms told me to make a bed for parsnips. He told me to dig up every thing in it, and pick out all the roots and every thing. In digging, I threw up this root, and I thought I might as well bring it to you as to throw it away." This statement put a different aspect on the matter. The idea of theft had not entered Tom's mind. The rose was a very desirable object. Might he not without blame accept it and place it in his garden? Many would have seen no difficulty in so doing, but James knew that there was a difference between what is just right and what is not quite right. He knew that the true standard for a man is what is just right. So, after pondering the matter for some time, he said, “I am much obliged to you for your kindness, but I will not set it out till I get Mr. Storms' permission. Do you work for Mr. Storms tomorrow?" him. "What have you there?" said he. "Something that I dug up in making the parsnip bed." "What have you been doing with it?" "I thought it would die if it was not set out, so I took it over to James Halsey; but he would not take it without your consent." "Wouldn't take it?" "No, sir. I told him I found it among the roots you told me to dig up and throw away." "I didn't tell you to dig up a rosebush, you stupid; but since there is one honest boy in the place, you may take it to him and tell him I say he may have it. But if you ever take any thing out of the garden again, you will be sorry for it." Tom did not wait to be told a second time to take the rose to its proprietor. If the reader has paid attention to the foregoing pages, he has had several points worthy of reflection set before his mind, and has seen another illustra tion of the old proverb that honesty is the best policy. |