St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-09-10
HOW SUSI PLANTED HERSELF.

HOW sUsY PLANTED HERSELF.
"You are too little, daughter: you
must wait till you are big girl before
you can 60 out evenings Or
"No. dear; it is not suitable for lit
tie girls! When you are older YOU can
have it.
1t seemed to poor little Susv she was
always hearing something like this. She
was the only child in the family, and
was fond Of trying to do exactly what
big folks did. And she got very tired
of being told she was too little to do
this thing, or that thing.
Papa said, You are lot quite big
enough to ride the pony yet, dear
Mamma said. "When YOU are a little
taller you can water all the plants on
the stand, Susy.''
Aunty said, "Fd like to take her
with me, but she's SO little she'd be
tired to DEATH
Grandma said, THAT sweetmeat is
entirely too rich for the child; she
ought not to touch it,
Susy tried everything she had ever
heard Of to make little girls grow fast
She was told that going to bed early
would do it, and one bright, summer
afternoon she went to bed at five
O'Clock. 1t seemed about a week to
her usual bedtime, and, ter all, when
she looked i'll the glass in the morning
she could not see that she was one bit
taller.
She had hoped that when she went
down stairs her mamma would raise her
hands and say:
dear me! Unjust set the ruflies of
Susy's dresses down; she does grow so
FAST
She had heard that rain and sunshine
made the flowers grow, and she sat out
doors, first in one and then in the other
till she came near having the Group and
sunstroke. And still no one ever ex-
claimed, How that child does grow.''
One morning in early summer she
followed her mamma about the garden.
"How wonderfully fast this orange
tree growsr' said mamma. Look,
Susy, at those fresh shoots; do believe
they have grown three inches since yes
terday morning.
Susy looked. and new and delight
full idea came into her mind. The Or
ange tree was growing in an earthen
fower!pot; that must be what made it
grow so fast.
She said nothing to mamma, but
waited till she gave the tree good
sprnkling and went into the house.
Then Susy ran to the root-house and
picked out large flower pot, which she
placed at the end of the back porch
steps opposite to which the orange
stood.
''Pll be growing at one end and the
orange at the other" said Susy. With
her little spade she began di gging up
the soft earth. When she had loosened
up what she thought enough she took
off her shoes and stockin $ and stepped
into the pot. Her plump little feet
hardly had room enough but she
crowded them in side by side and shov-
eled some earth on them.
1t was very hard work. She came
near topping over several times-and
then found she had not enough earth |
dug up, and that she could not dig
while standing in the fower-pot. It |
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had to get out and then begin over
again. BY the time that she had filed |
in nearly to her knees and patted the
earth smooth on the top her poor little
back was almost broken.
But she stood straight up, feeling
very proud and happy, and smiled over
at the orange tree.
"Now,' she said. 81 must wait for
mamma to come and sprinkle me, and
then l shall begin to grow. She will
pour water on my feet, too. Dear me!
wish she'd hurry
1t was not easy standing there. Her
seet were cramped and aching, and the
sun was getting very hot. The orange
rec did not seem to mind it at all; it's
bright, shining leaves smiled back at
susy, looking as if they had lived on
all their lives and liked it.
If | only had something to lean
againstr' said poor Susy. "All the
vines lean against the trellis-that's be-
cause they get tired of standing alone.
wish 1 was near trellis-but plants
can't walk. I wish mammal come
md sprinkle me-Iknow I'd feel better
then."a She had been planted only
about half an hour. but it seemed like
lalf day. She wondered how long
The would have to stay there before she