Evening star., 1901-05-11
JOBSON AS A GARDENER

Wonteo importance When upon his return
home one evening about three weeks ago,
he laid a square paper package. neatly tied
UP with rubber bands, on the dining room
table.
"Oh. you did remember to get that yel-
low, old-fashioned cornmeal on your way
home, didn't your" inquired Mrs Jobson,
picking up the package and feeling 1t.
Mr. Jobson gazed at her with an air of
bewilderment.
yellow. old-fashioned cornmeal?" he in
quired. as if he had never heard of such
thing in his life. "Who ever said anything
about"
Why" interrupted Mrs Jobson. don't
you remember my asking you. before you
left this morning, to drop by at that little
grocery on 11th street and get the kind of
cornmeal We had for the Johnny-cake the
last"
Mrs. Jobson. I wish you could contrive
to shake yourself out of that somnolent
condition before L get home of evenings.
put in Mr.. JobSon. wearing guilty look.
nevertheless. LIT seems to ne that you
ought to find enough time to dream during
We'll. what is this, them" said Mrs. job
son, holding up the package. for she
Thought it discreet to change the subject.
Ihat. Mrs. Jobson. is a package of
flower seeds" said MIR. Jobson, taking the
bundle out of her hands and beginning to
undo the rubber bands. Incidentally, it s
the biggest bargain that l ever saw in my
life. i only paid So for the whole outfit to
man who came into the office today and
in the bunch there are samples of flower
seeds of about every known variety. and a
lot of unknown varieties. as far as that's
concerned. If | don't make the bit of a
yard surrounding this establishment look
like bower of beauty inside of about four
weeks then you are privileged to consider
me cfgar-store sign, that's all. and Mr.
Johson picked up the small envelopes, one
by one and gaZed admiringly at the ornate
pictures of flowers printed on them I'm
going to have our neighbors so jealous CT
this little personally conducted botanical
garden which I'm about to begin work en-
that they won't be able to sleep o nights.
that's all"
Mrs. Jobson picked up few of the small
envelopes and gazed at them curiously.
Eight dollars she murmured, IL to
herself. Don't you think the seeds were
rather dear? l saw a great box of flower
seeds at our grocery store the other day.
and | think most of the varieties were la
be1ed 10 cents package
Never mind about what you saw at the
grocery store Mrs. Jobson," replied Mr.
Jobson haughtily. "These not grocery
store flower seeds They're collected. so
the man told me. from the estate Of one
of the most eminent f1oricultursts in this
country. and when you see your yard look
ing like garden of Eden somewhat
reduced scale you'll agree with me that this
is the cheapest and best purchase that ever
came through the Jobson front gate. 1
bought few little implements for the
making Of the garden, in addition. and I'm
going to take day off tomorrow and get
these seeds in the ground
Don't you think it would be better for
you to get a colored man to spade UP the
yard first?" inquired Mrs Jobson.
No. Mrs. Jobson. 1 don't" replied Mr..
Jobson Neither do I think 1t would be
better for me to get a coIored man to per-
form for me on the piano-forte Garden
1ngS business that requires some head
work, and, although I've never taken occa-
sion to show you how strong l am on the
the results to Justify my desire to attend
to the whole thing myself"
The few little implements for gardening
arrived in the delivery wagon that same
evening. and Mr.. Jobson exhibited them
proudly to Mrs. Jobson. They consisted OF
spade OF the best make, a rake. a hoe and
about fifty feet of the best brand Of garden
hose.
Mr.. Jobson was up as early as O'clock
on the following morning, working on the
garden. He spaded the lawn up to a depth
OF ABOUT two feet. and by the time Mrs
Johson called him for his breakfast he had
several stubborn crtcks in his sides and
looked like a soft-coal fireman. He was
game. however. and went back to work as
soon as he had bolted his cup of coffee and
ron. ana by 10 o'clock he was ready to be-
gin planting the seed. He opened the little
enevlopes one by one. while Mrs. Jobson
looked on. After he had opened about A
dozen OF the envelopes, each of them baa r.
ing the Varlhued picture of a different
mower mrs JobSon called his attention TO
a little detail that struck her as being nec,,-
liar. 80 "e'''' peeu-
Queer. that all Of the seeds from these
said she. 1914 H.
MI jobson looKed at the seeds and thu n
IroWned severely at Mrs. Jooson.
It's queer, Mrs Jobson." he answered
Eno1,, Mnen a ~. superior air. ito folks who don't
hntrx
mower seeds and cake of laundry soan
tloWer seeds. Mrs Jobson. all look sIike
any yoody ought to know that. And Ij he
onlaged to you II you'd reserve your critf-
Slsnls until you've got a chance to find ont
no" little you learned about horticuIt,,re
Wnen you went to school"
Nevertheless. Mrs Jobson had her do,,hts
ABOUT the way Mr.. Jobsons many varieties
VI mower SEEDS resembled each other AND
So instead of using his seeds wherewttb ~
start little garden Of her own In +ho
rustic tubs in the sideyard, she used q faH
ner groceryman 'iie e'r-
Mr Jobson watched his garden with Va
narkaDie soltcitude. and wetted # dow
ana poked around its edges with his rats
mornine NOR ue sbon+ M.m singular industry until one
ms neighbors happened by and eazed
amusedly at Mr.. Jobson at work eaAeu
..I IMo1rning. Morn Jobson." said the neiebbor
good 1As cron 1lhe - you're @ going to have a pretty
l
u.on you nave the yard sodded instead
OF sowing the grass seed? Your lawn.Il he
ragged-looking for year or so.'' "e
say: what ails your inquired Mr. Job-
SON. gloWerlng upon his neighbor "Can't
you see that this Is a flower garden o..
fioWer garden?" said the neiphhor g,z-
Ing hard at Mr.. Jobson '.Sayl old n,an
you need rest, that's what you need Yn,,
may raise dandelion or SO in that aifa1sa
neld that you've been spending your time
on 1or the past few weeks, but all the
other flowers you'll grow on that lot vonII
ne aole to put in the corner of your eve
can't you see that you sowed nothing hut
grass seed?" Dul
Mr.. Jobson had violent verbal alterca-
tlon with his grinning neighbor. and then
ne marched around to where Mrs. .Johson
was watering her already resnect abia
back yard ''S Al the
Well" he snorted. you've at length
succeeded In showing; me up and makInr
an exhibition Of me in the netshborhong
haven't you madam?'
Why:' said Mrs. Jobson. what do
You didn't deliberately have the aou,ar
seeds that 1 took such pains to nIant
spaded up. and a lot OF gypsum weed seed
and stun like that put in the sromnd
around here. instead, did your" erowIed
Mr. Jobson. You didn't employ four or