Part 5 (2/2)
”Yes, so they do. I'll be able to give some of the leaves to the fowls, won't I?”
”Yes, if you don't give them too many.”
”I must go now and see if my daisy is growing, and the marigold.
I'll be back again in a minute,” and away she trotted.
The others were sauntering slowly back from the fowl-house, and pausing to look at Charlie's strawberry plants on their way, when suddenly the silence was broken by a succession of squeals and shrieks and frantic calls to each one by name.
”Oh-h-h! oh-h! oh!! Bella! Daddy! Tom! Do come here. Charlie! oh, look, do look! there's a lovely rose bush growed up in my garden through the night, and it's got leaves on it! Oh, how did it come? Daddy, do come and see it. You never saw anything so wonderful.”
They all ran, of course. Bella and the boys nearly as excited as Margery, and full of curiosity, their father full of pleasure with the success of his surprise.
”Daddy, do come and look. It is a real one, isn't it?” Clutching him by the hand to hurry him. ”It isn't a fairy rose, is it?” anxiously.
”It's a real one right enough, in my opinion,” said her father, looking very grave, and stooping down to inspect the little bush. ”It's a real one right enough,” he a.s.sured her solemnly, as he straightened himself again. ”Looks healthy too.”
”Do you think the fairies put it there for me?” she asked, breathlessly, watching her father closely and trying to read his face. ”Or do you think G.o.d sended it to me 'cause I've been a good girl?”
”Have you been a good girl?” doubtfully. ”Are you sure?”
”Yes, I think so,” hesitatingly; ”haven't I, Bella?” turning her anxious little face from one to the other.
”Yes,” said Bella loyally, ”you've been very good.”
”That's it, then, I expect it has been sent to your garden because you've been good.”
”P'raps G.o.d telled the fairies, and they put it there,” and her little face grew all bright again at this wonderful explanation.
The beauty and wonder and mystery of it all took up so much of their time and attention that there was no more work done that morning, for when Aunt Emma's call to breakfast came sounding along the path they were still gathered about Margery's little garden, gazing and marvelling at the mysterious rose.
”I must have one look at my herbs before I go in,” said Bella to herself as the call to breakfast reached her; ”they are not as lovely as Margery's rose, but my herb-bed was the beginning, and--and oh I do hope it is all going to be nicer again, and as happy as it used to be. It really does seem as if there was a difference already.”
CHAPTER V.
WHAT AUNT MAGGIE SUGGESTED.
Bella was right,--there really was a difference already, and, best of all, the difference continued. Never again could any one say that the Henders'
garden was neglected and untidy. As of old, William Hender worked there every evening, but now he usually had one or more of his children with him, and the garden in time became a perfect picture.
Bella had another and a larger piece of ground given her, in which to grow flowers, and, as her father often remarked, she must have had the true flower-lover's hand, for she had only to put in roots or seeds or cuttings of any kind, for them to grow and blossom their best, and throughout the spring, summer, and autumn her garden was a picture.
A year pa.s.sed by, and Charlie's strawberry bed had yielded its first crop, and Tom's vegetables had provided more than one meal for the family, and, of course, had tasted better than any others that were ever grown.
Over the wall at the back of Margery's garden the fairy rose had grown rapidly, covering the old stones with cl.u.s.ters of snowy blossoms.
The whole of Margery's garden was well stocked by this time, for night after night mysterious plants had been placed there,--planted, as she firmly believed, by the fairies, who had 'been telled by G.o.d' to take it to her because she had been good; and that must have been the reason, she felt sure, for whenever she was very good, some new flower always appeared.
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