Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-10-06
NO. 40.
PInchisg the Roots.

fast as any of them.
The still autumn air was so pleasant,
and the trees were SO beautiful in their
robes of red and yellow, that 1t was good TO
be out of doors. And so the children play
ed and sang and whistled, and went around
aHd around the flower beds, and did not
think of going in the house until 1t was
time for dinner.
But the best thing OF all was when man.
ma herself came out, and began to look on
too, seeking out her pet plants, and en-
couraging Dennis with her cheerful words.
"Hallol here's mamma" cried Tom, hug
ging her, and feeling proud that he was
getting so tall. "Isn't it jolly day7 And
see what lots Dennis has done already"
"Yes, tho beds begin TO look quite desc.
lale."
Bell ran up, holding out her little hands
full of flowers, and nearly fell into one of
the big holes Dennis had made.
ave shall have plenty of bouquets to-
day, mamma" Carrie said, who had her
hands full, too. Dennis wiH cut them all off
He does such queer things" she added
softly, as the old man bent over plant on
hhO OPPOoihS Siuo vi kub Mdlhs
Mamma smiled; and they all watched,
while Dennis dug carefully around the
plant, and lilted IL to put it in the pot. It
was a delicate, beautiful thing, and the
gardener said "Ah!" and patted the earth
around it, as If he were very proud of H.
Then be slipped it into the pot, and began
pushing the stray roots into their places,
and covering them with more earth.
"oh, Dennisi" cried Carrie, who had
watched him treating several others in tho
same way, and could not bear il any lon
ger, "what makes you pinch the roots soP
should think you'd hurt the poor thing"
The old man looked up at her, and then
looked down again and laughed in his
queer little way. ....
"Hurt it, ?" he said "hurt my beauty?
Not bit ofiti Don't you fear, Miss
know The flowers, and they know me-"
Carrie looked little indignant, while
the others smiled at Dennis, who lined the
delicate sprays with bis rough fingers, and
talked to the plant as if it were a creature
that could understand him.
Hurt you, hey2 Don'i knoW better2
YoW'U come up all right, and be giving
'em fine flowers all winter"
Then, as If suddenly remembering his
work, he began 10 fill up the pot, and press
the earth down with the same rough fin
gers that had touched the leaves so tender
ly. Mamma noticed the look on Carries
face, and she said TO The gardener, as he
stood one plant in the shade and began his
work upon another, "Perhaps Dennis will
tell you why it is that be treats the roots in
that way. am sure he has reason for it,"
Tom glanced slyly up in his mothers
| face, as if he thought she knew all about il
herself, but was going TO give Dennis a
chance to talk. t...
And little Bell took occasion, while they
were all talking, TO see how far she could
reach her hand into one of the holes from
which plant had been taken.
Eyes, lna'am, 10 be sure. Reason
enough! Would 1 be letting the roots run
about, any way they please, when I know
the b. st way for 'em to go? So I just pack
'em r'Ise in their places, and pinch 'em as
Miss Carrie says, TO keep them there, and
then give them plenty of earth and that's
the way get pretty plants. Why, You SEQ
Miss, the poor roots don't know, and ifI
didn't keep 'em back and crowd 'em up
some, the plants would all grow 10 root
and shouldn't get any flowersl So take
a pot that's a lcetle small, you think, and
crowd the roots some, and leach 'em what
they have TO do; and pretty soon they be-
gin TO be content with their lot, and TO
send up strength into the plant, and that
makes beautiful blossoms"
1t was quite long speech for the old
man, and he had only potted one rose-bush
in the meantime. Tom wondered if moth
er was going to stand there and let him
talk on. She only smiled with thought
lul look on her face, and said 10 Carrie,
'Do you understand"
"Yes, ma'am, 1 think I do"
And she watched with new interest, as
Dennis plunged his trowel about the roots
OF the next plant. Afler a moment he
stopped, touched his hat TO mamma, and
said, Excuse me, ma'am, but I'm think
ing that we're all OF us unruly plants and
If The good Gardener didn't pinch us and
hinder us in our ways bit, now and then,
what useless things we should be, not
bearing any blossoms for His glory"
The old man shook his gray head as he
bent it over a tall fuchsia. And Tom
laughed little, as If he thought things
were getting funny.
"You are right, Dennis" mamma said.
"That is very true, and 1 am glad to have
this lesson for the children from the plants.
Do you see how it ISL" she added, turn
ing toward Tom and Carrie "that we are
just like the plants, reaching out 10 go the
ways that seem pleasant TO US, and longing
to do as our foolish hearts pleaseG But
God, who is the wise Gardener, holds us
back sometimes, and binders us and dis
appoints us, and does not let us do as we
planned. Aud that is like Dennis pinch
ing down the roots of his plants. 1t is TO
make us stronger and better; to give our
lives a chance TO blossom with cheerful
ness and patience and content. These are
flowers which we can boar, TO please the
dear God who loves us, even when he will
not let us go our own way"
What an easy lesson it was, and how the
children understood 1t, right away, with
out asking any questions. And how the
time had slipped away!
There was the dinner bell, and the whole
long, beautiful morning was overl But
not the good lesSon-ihat they could not
forget.
"And never you mind, dearles F" cried
old Dennis, looking up TO say the last word ;
"never you mind If you are plnched down
bit, and kept from running your ways
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