The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-05
THE LEGEND OF THE GARDENER
ny BEATRICE HARRADEN.

tiny plant Of no moment to careless eyes,
and would bring it home 10 his garden,
and tend II with such loving care that II
would gain strength and beauty. surpris-
Ing him and gratifying him with its gen
erous response to his tender fostering.
People heard OF his beautiful plants and
came TO his garden.
"Ah. you indeed have a rare plant
here." they would say, pointing TO one OF
his treasures. That must be priceless
in its worth"
No, indeed" he answered: lit is just
a wild flower. nothing more. There are
thousands like it,"
But II we bring the wild flowers home
they VIII die" they answered. How is
that2'
Il canot tell" he said, unless it is
that / care so much and that I have put
my very hearts desire into the tending
which give them day after day, and week
after week"
Now. one day the gardener was in trou-
BILE; great sorrows had encompassed him.
and the bright light had faded from his
life- II was nothing TO him that his gar
den was beautiful, and that the fame OF
another. and that many strangers sought
II had Travelled first to one land and then
TO learn the secret of his subtle skill. All
this was nothing to him. Heavy-hearted
he went about his work, finding neither
peace nor comfort, until one early morn
ing. when he was wandering listlessly
in the desert weaving round his soul "a
network of sad thoughts, his eye CHANGED
something I'm the whiteness of il which
held him for moment spellbOund-it was
as white as the surf of the fairy Pacific;
as white as an untouched field of Alpine
snow; as white as ones ideal of a pure
mind.
He stopped down and deftly raised its
roots. and, forgetful of all his sorrows,
FASTENED home with his fragile burden.
But, alas. it was so fragile that at first
he did not dare TO hope that it would
live IL dropped and dropped, and the
gardener knew that he would lose his
IF / could only have saved it," he
thought. II have never cared for any
flower so much as for this one"
"Well, he saved il. And when at last
he raised it's head and smiled to his care,
he felt a gladness nnspeakable.
Little friend" he whispered, 81 found
thee in an hour of sadness, and together
with thee / found courage and consola-
ton, and, therefore, name thee Friend
ship"
II grew up strong and beautiful. white
as the surf of the fairy Pacific. white as
an untouched field of Alpine snow, white
as ones ideal of a pure mind.
OF all the plants which the gardener
cherished this one called Friendship far
outshone them all. Strangers could never
pass II by without tender word OF praise,
and without asking the name of this
plant, which looked so chaste and calm
" beautiful and when they had learned
were willing to pay any price for it, and
those who had not money would fain have
offered the best service OF their minds,
their brains their hands,
But the gardener smiled always and
Nay he said. 81 cannot sell it, neith-
er for money nor fame, nor anything
which the world may hold. 1t is my very
own-part of my own self But go We
out into the wild places and ye will see
many such plants. There they are for
4-.I~- C...1.r L.,.r 81,
little care in the lifting of them and in
the nursing of them. They are very frail.
Still, If you use every care you know,
your little white flower Friendship, will
time new beauties and fresh delights. At
least. thus 1t has been with me"
Then, so runs the legend of the gar
dener. those who We're eager enough to
take the trouble, wandered into wild and
lonely places, and found the tiny white
flower, as they thought. But they often
gathered the wrong plant and took II
triumphantly to the gardener.
See here they said, I'VE have had
no trouble with this flower. From the
very first It fourished and grew apace.
The gardener looked at it and smiled
$50 many have made that mistake. 3"
he said This is not the plant Friend
ship, but merely its counterfeit which
after a time loses its Wilderness and then
it could not deceive anyone"
But others who came to the gardener
had indeed found the real plant Friend
ship, only they could not rear it.. They
brought their faded plants to him and
pointed to them sorrowfully.
Mine did so well at first" said one of
the strangers. Il felt so confident of sue
cess"
perhaps thou vert too confident, and
so neglected it, said the gardener kindly.
IF thou triest once more, remember that
thou must never relax thy watchful
care"
"Ah, how can I ever hope for success
now?" said the stranger sadly. MY heart
is sore with disappointment"
zone never knows" said the gardener,
"and If thou shouldst ever tend another
plant, hasten to tell me how it has Jared
with thee and it,"
The gardener lived to know that many
taught by him, had learned to find the
fragile flower, Friendship. and to rear it
with success; some had failed once and
twice and thrice, and then succeeded
and others had failed altogether. But
there were many who had OWNED his Sc
cret, and he was glad. For he knew how
much the world would gain of whiteness
Then he died, and it is not known tn
whom he bequeathed his own beautiful
plant.
Maybe you have it: perchance l have
it. 1t is surely among us somewhere