Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-03-16
A Garden Overrun with weeds.

"Father l don't like to 90 to
school," said Harry Williams, one
morning. II wish you would let
me always stav at home. Charlie
| Parker's fathers don't make him go
to school"
Mr.. Williams took his little boy
by the hand, and said kindly to him,
"Come my son. l want to show
you something in the garden"
Harry walked into the garden with
his father, who led him along until
they came to bed in which peas
! were growing, the vines supported
| by thin branches that had been placed
in the ground. Not a weed was TO
be seen about their roots, nor even
disfguring the walk around the bed
! in which they had been planted.
"See how beautifully these peas
are growing, my son!" said Mr..
Williams. "HOw clean and healthy
the vines lookl We shall have an
abundant crop. Now let me show
you the vines in Mr.. Parker's gar
den. We can look at them through
a great hole in his fence"
Mr.. Williams then led Harry
through the garden gate and across
the road TO look at Mr.. Parker's pea
vines through a hole in the fence.
The bed in which they were growing
was near to the road, so they had no
difficulty in seeing it. After looking
into the garden for few moments,
Mr.. Williams said:
"Well, my son, what do you think
of Mr.. Parker's pea vines?"
"Oh, father" replied the little boy,
81 never saw such poor-lOoking peas
in my life! There are no sticks for
them to run upon, and the weeds
are nearly as high as the peas them
selves. There won't be a half a
cropr
"Why are they SO much worse
than ours Harry"
because they have been left to
grow as they pleased. L suppose
Mr.. Parker just planted them, and
never took any care Of them, after
ward. He has neither taken out the
weeds nor helped them to grow
right" E
F'Yes, that is just the truth, my
son. A garden will soon be overrun
with weeds and briers if it is not
cultivated with the greatest care.
anu Ju5L 81 II Ao " IN LLlO AuAA4SAA
garden. This precious garden must
be trained and watered, and kept
free from weeds, or it will run to
waste. Children's minds are like
garden-beds, and they must be ten
ded as carefully as, and even more
carefully than, the choicest plants.
If you, my son, were never to go to
school, nor have good seeds of
knowledge planted in your mind, it
would, when you become man, re-
semble the weed-eovered, neglected
bed we have just been looking at,
instead of the beautiful one in my
garden. Would you think me right
to neglect my garden as Mr.. Parker
neglects his?"
HOh no, father; your garden is a
good garden, but Mr.. Parker's is all
Overrun with weeds and briers. 1t
won't yield half as much as yours
will"
"Or, my son, do you think l
would be right if neglected my son
as Mr.. Parker neglects his son, al
lowing him to run wild, and his
mind, uncuitiVated, to become over
grown with weeds?"
Little Harry made no reply, but
he understood pretty clearly what
his father meant.
''I send you to school," Mr.. viii
liams continued, sin order that the
garden of your mind may have good
seeds sown in it, and that these
seeds may grow, and spring up and
produce plentifully. Now which
would you prefer, to stay at home
from school, and so let the garden
of your mind be overrun with
weeds, or go to school, and have
this garden cultivated"
81 would rather go to school, said
Harry. ''But, father, is Charlie
Parker's mind Overrun with
weeds ?"
81 am afraid that it is. Ifnot, il
certainly will be, if his father does
not send him to school. For little
boy not to be sent to school is a
great misfortune, and l hope you
will think the privilege of going to
school a very great one indeed"
Harry Williams listened to all his
father said, and, what was better,
thought about it too. He never
again asked to stay home from
school.