Part 8 (2/2)
The brothers both listened very attentively while that old letter was read; and when their mother had finished it, Frank exclaimed, ”That must be a very beautiful place!”
Harry looked thoughtfully in the fire, and at last said, ”I wonder who told all that to Martin Luther! Do you suppose an angel showed him that garden, when he was asleep?”
”I don't know,” replied Frank. ”But if there were small horses there with golden saddles for the boys, why shouldn't Jip be there, too, with a golden collar and bells?”
”Now, wouldn't that be grand!” exclaimed Harry. And away they both ran to plant flowers on Jip's grave.
_L. Maria Child._
BESSIE'S GARDEN
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Above all things, Bessie loved flowers, but wild flowers most. It seemed so wonderful to her that these frail things could find their way up out of the dark ground, and unfold their lovely blossoms, and all their little pointed leaves, without any one to teach or help them.
Who watched over the dear little wild flowers, all alone in the field, and on the hillside, and down by the brook? Ah, Bessie knew that her Heavenly Father watched over them; and she loved to think he was smiling down upon her at the same time that his strong, gentle hand took care of the flowers and of her at once. And she was not wrong, for Bessie was a kind of flower, you know.
One day the little girl thought how nice it would be to have a _wild_ garden; to plant ever so many flowering things in one place, and let them run together in their pretty way, until the bright-eyed blossoms should gaze out from the whole tangled ma.s.s of beautiful green leaves.
So into the house she ran to find Aunt Annie, and ask her leave to wander over on a shady hillside where wild flowers grew thickest.
Yes, indeed, she might go, Aunt Annie said; but what had she to carry her roots and earth in while making the garden?
O, Bessie said, she could take a s.h.i.+ngle, or her ap.r.o.n.
Aunt Annie laughed, and thought a basket would do better; they must find one. So they looked in the closets and attics, everywhere; but some of the baskets were full, and some were broken, and some had been gnawed by mice; not one could they find that was fit for Bessie's purpose.
Then dear Aunt Annie poured out the spools and bags from a nice large work-basket, and told Bessie she might have that for her own, to fill with earth or flowers, or anything she chose.
Pleased enough with her present, our young gardener went dancing along through the garden,--Aunt Annie watched her from the balcony,--dancing along,--and crept through a gap in the hedge, and out into the field, that was starred all over with dandelions, and down the hollow by the brook, and up on the hillside, out of sight among the shady trees.
And how she worked that afternoon,--singing all the while to herself as she worked! How she heaped together the rich, dark mould, and evened it over with her little hands! How she dug up roots of violets, and gra.s.s, and spring-beauty, and Dutchmen's breeches, travelling back and forth, back and forth, never tired, never ceasing her song.
The squirrels ran up out of their holes to look at Bessie; the birds alighted over her head and sang.
While Bessie was bending over her garden so earnestly, thump! came something all at once, something so cold and heavy! How quickly she jumped upon her feet, upsetting her basket, and making it roll down the hill, violet-roots and all!
And then how she laughed when she saw a big brown toad that had planted himself in the very centre of her garden, and stood there winking his silly eyes, and saying, ”No offence, I hope!”
The squirrel chattered as if he were laughing too; the bird sang, ”Never mind, Bessie, never mind; pick up your violets, and don't hurt the poor old toad!”
”O no; it's G.o.d's toad; I shouldn't dare to hurt him,” said Bessie.
Just at that moment she heard a bell ringing loudly from her father's house. She knew it was calling her home; but how could she leave her basket! She must look for that first; the hillside was steep and tangled with bushes, yet she must make her way down and search for the lost treasure.
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