Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-09-01
HERBEltT'S IDEA.


HERBEIsT'S IDEA.
ooh, mamma, l have such beauti-
full, beautiful idea," said Herbert,
bounding in from the garden and seek
ing his mother in her own room, where
he usually found her, as she was an
invalid.
"What is it, dear?" she said, smooth
ing back his hair and looking into his
bright eyes.
"Oh, I'm not going to tell you yet,
for it is to lie a grand secret. It's
something which 1 am going to do
for you, mamma. And l know you
will be astonished and pleased. it's
such perfectly beautiful thing? Now
say, mamma, if may do just what 1
want to about it.
"Why, HERBERT" she said, with a
smile, IL scarcely like to 90 as far as
that without knowing what you mean
to do. Surprising it should be some
thing which l should not think we'll
OFF,
But you would, mamma. It's
we'll, it's something about gardening.
About having seeds and things that l
want and planting them just where l
| want to. You see,' with a wise look
81 know what kind of things you ap-
prove of, mamma, SO you must try me
without asking.'
Il think you do, DEAR she said,
smiling at his coaxing tone. Il sup
pose l shall have to let you nave your
own way. 1t is usually. pretty good
way, my boy.'
Her fond words added new charm
to Herbert's delightful idea. For sew
eral days afterward he was so busy
over its carry ing out that his mother
watched with some curiosity as he
spent several hours each day hard at
work in the pretty part of the garden
which was overlooked by the windows
of her room. His pleasure in knowing
that her loving eyes oft en- rested upon
him was frequently shown by a CHEEKY
little shout or wave of his hat as he
would catch sight of her. And it very
often happened that toe hr,t thing she
heard in the morning was the sound OF
a song from him, soft and low through
his fear of disturbing her.
1t was pleasant to see the faithful
painstaking he was bestowing upon
whatever it might be which had taken
possession of his busy little brain. Ia
whatever spot the sun fingered most
lovingly his little spade was sure to be
at work sooner or later. 1t was easy
to see that he made frequent visits to
a greenhouse kept at some distance
from home, for few things were care
fully transplanted into his beds which
could have come from nowhere else.
Vines were trained where the best sup
port could be found for them, and the
place of each annual or perennial was
chosen with much thought and care.
But as the summer wore on, it be-
camel plain to his mothers eyes that
Herbert's beautiful idea was proving
in some way 3 disappointment. His
smil. was not not so bright and con-
fdent when he saw his mother at the
window, and one day he came in and
laid bis head on her lap with heavy
sigh, waiting for the stroking Of her
hand, which always seemed to bring
soothing with its touch.
What is it, dear?' she said.
II c.n't do it, mamma he said,
half fretfully, half mournfully. II
was trying to make a flower clock for
you, like the one we read of the other
day. wanted to have a flower that
would open for you every hour of the
day. read everything | could think
of That tells about them, and I've hunt
ed everywhere for seeds and plants.
didn't want the night plants, for
you would not see those; but l want
ed the day plants. and l
have got good many of them but
they don't act right.
what is the trouble?'
"Oh, all sorts of troubles" he said.
:'Some of the choicest ones have
died, and some wont grow. Some are
eaten up by insects, and others, when
do get them started right, don't seem
to know what is expected of them.
They open any time of the day, as if
no such thing as clock had ever been
heard off,
:'Too bad said his mother. smiling
at his injured tone. but you have
undertaken to much, Herbert. II l
had known sooner what your beautiful
idea was-and it is beautiful one,
dear-l could have told you that little
boy like you could not hope to succeed
in such a thing. 1t has only been tried
think, by men who have had long
years of experience in Horticulture, who
have every advantage in the way of
surroundings, and who can bring what
they want from any part of the world. -
but did want to make a flower
open for you every hour, mamma
said Herbert; land l have tried so
hard, all for nothing"
.'It WAS sweet thought in you, my
boy. trust it may be long before you
ind out how truly failures, and dis
appointments belong with most things
earthly" X
Earth, is q poor place, then, l think,
mamma.
mo, dear; not if we look upon all
these things as 4 training for the life
beyond, and as further reason for look
ing forward to it, Think, my boy
she said cheerfully, DESTROYS of giving
him lesson in harmony with his pas
sionate love of flowers, ''of a country
where nothing ever fails or .1ades.
Where flowers grow IN their beautiful
perfection with nothing to blight or
| mar; where the sun is never tOt hot,
| 49, 4