The Afro-American advance., 1900-09-01
{ How His Garden Grew
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u-gF average man who moves from
fat or from a city house with
- by "A lawn to place in the suburbs
with generous back yard yearns to
,,ant things and see them grow.
Mr.. Grimston-which, by the way,
js NOT his real name-says this was
one of his ideals which. last year, was
rndelv shattered. He says he thinks
the reason Mary was quite contrary"
was because her garden made her so.
Their suburban residence has quite
an extensive back yard and Mr.. Grim
SION worked industriously at it morn
ings and evenings trying to get it into
presentable shape, for the previous
tenants had used it as depository for
Tin cans, old rusty pans and disabled
coffee pots.
How delightful il is TO live in home
AZ last" he remarked TO a friend who
called one evening soon after they had
moved 81 don't call the fiat where we
have been living home. God bless our
home looks out of place on the walls
Of suite of rooms in large apartment
building; 1t ought simply to be God
bless our fat We have procured a
cat and three kittens in order to make
the place seem as homely as possible,
and | am going to raise one of the finest
gardens in the back yard you ever
saw. To raise our own vegetables will
be a saving of money, and"
II don't know about that" inter
rupted his friend. II raised some po-
tatoes one year and at the end of the
season found they had cost me just five
dollars a bushel. Cheaper to buy at
the grocery, you know"
That was because you hired a man
TO take care of 'em. I'm going to work
my garden myself. / shall attend to
It mornings and evenings, see"
There is something poetical and
wonderful to me about the planting
season." said Mr.. Grimston when he
came home one night with various
packages of seed. think of the germ
OF life inclosed in one of these tiny
seeds! Our schoolbooks told us oi
a raspberry seed found in the stomach
of a man who had been dead hundreds
of years, and the seed upon being plant
ed grew and produced fruit. There il
no accident or caprice in nature; every
little seed knows just what it has to dc
and it does it,"
II am not posted on such things,
replied his wife. but 1 wish our yarC
had more sunshine. Those large tree
on either sid of us will completely shad,
your garden"
"Oh. that doesn't matter" he re
turned; don't you worry. This after
noon l shall plant my radish, lettuce
onion and cucumber seeds, and to-mor
row shall plant my peas aud buy SOM
tomato plants. The vegetable man vii
not make much by calling here thi
year, my dear! Think of having fresl
vegetables Of our own growing! Whel
was a boy and used TO visit my uncl
in the country / would take some sal
and go to the garden and break open
large, beautiful tomato, red as a rub
on the inside, sprinkle some salt on /
and eat ii right there, and assure yo
1t was perfectly delicious. And tn
radishes! Why, half the radishes W
buy are soft and spongy from bein
kept too long. You will see that our
will he crisp and toothsome."
Mr. Grimston whistled gayly as h
raked and hoed his vegetable bed
and who so happy as he when III
threadlike green spears and scallope
leaves began to peep from the ground
sour lettuce will be very fine"
said; sit has such large, strong root
anything"
II should think sol" returned b
wife. "At the rate these plants a
shooting up they ought to bear fru
as large as watermelons."
True" said he, "and the cucumb'
roots also are very large. The oniol
look little sickly. but they'll come o
al right, for onions will grow an
WHERE
He had driven sticks in the grouI
Tor bis peas, which were beginning
grow nicely, and he felt that, taken ;
Il all, his garden was in a very Satisfs
tory condition.
Cnfortunately Mary Ellen-the cat
and her offspring enjoyed working
the garden fully as well as did
Grimston. and this became more e
Gent as the kittens grew older. 7
sining pea vines were a never-endi
source of delight TO the kittens. Son
times they amused themselves
climbing to the top of the supper
al others they preferred to stand
few PAGES and with sudden run a
jump throw themselves against I
Nnes. which they bore triumphan
70 the ground. Mr.. Grimston tried
keep these pests shut up in the cell
oat stupid Bridget invariably manay
70 let them escape from their pris
when they returned to their old tril
With nore enthuziasm than before.
Yen uiver raise = garden wild IL
eats Aronrdl" said Bridget. who '
tired Of being reproached for her ca
lesxresa.
agree with you, Bridget" he
s1fnec. -snc viii get rid Of Mary