Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-04-02
A DenominationaI Garden.

trip to Miss Why for some yellow
roots, and Miss Why tells her all about
her "denominational garden" "
This here is a denominational gar
den, an I got every congregation I
ever heard of planted in it. I amt
got no favorite bed. l keer fer EN-
all Jest alike. When you come to
think Of it, the same rule holds good
in startin garden as does in startin
a church. You first got to steddy
what sort of soil you goin' to work
with, then you have to sum all the
things you have to fight ag'inst. Next,
you choose what flowers are goin' to
hold the best places. That'sa mighty
important question in churches, too,
amt it? Then you 80 to plantin', ,
the thicker the better, fer in both you
got to allow fer a mighty fallin' of.
After that you must take good keer
of what you got, an be sure to plant
something new each year. Once in a
while some Of the old growths has to
be thinned out, an the new upstarts
an suckers has to be pulled Up. Now,
if you'll come out here I'll show you
round.
"These here are the Baptists, said
Miss Why, waving her hand toward a
bed of heliotrope and flags. "They
wants lots of water; like to be wet
clean through. They sorter set off to
theyselves an tend to their own bus
mess; don't keer much bout minglin'
with the other flowers"
"These is geraniums, amt they ?
One of the girls bad one, once, in a
aower-pot when she was sick.
Eyes" said Miss Why; "they re
Methodists. They fall from grace an
has to be revived they like lots of
encouragement in the way of sun an
water. These phlox are Methodist,
too no set color, easy to grow, hardy
an vigorous. Pinchin' an cuttin back
the shoots makes it flower all the bet
ter; needs new soil every few years.
Now, amt that Methodist down to the
ground ?"
care there any Presbyterians?"
asked Lovey Mary, beginning to grasp
Miss Why's meaning.
"Yes, indeed: they are good, old,
reliable bed. Look at all these roses
an tiger lilies an dshlias; they all
knew what they was goin' to be afore
they started to grow. They was
elected to it, and they'll keep on bein
what they started out to be clean to
the very end"
Miss Why crossed the garden, and
stopped before bed of stately lilies
and azaleas. These are 'Piscopals, &"
she explained. "Ain't they tony?
Jes look like they thought their bed
was the only one in the garden. Some
body said that lily didn't have no
pore kin among the flowers. 1t amt
no wonder they most die Of dignity.
They're like the 'Piscopsls in more
ways n one; both hates to be dis
turbed, both likes some shade, an -
confdentially-"both air pretty per-
nickity. But to tell you the truth
amt nothin kin touch en- when It
comes to beauty. I think all the
other beds is proud Of EN-, if you'd
come to look into it. Why, look at
weddin's an funerals. Don't all the
churches call in the 'Piscopals an the
lilies on both them occasions"
"And here" continued Miss Why,
"are the Unitarians. You may be
'sprised at me for havin' EN- in here
long with the orthodox churches, but
if the sun an the rain don't make no
l don't see what right I
got to put EN- on the other side Of the
fence. These first is sweetwilliam, as
rich in bloom as the Unitarians Is in
good works, sown' theyselves con-
slant, an every little plant a-putting
out a flower"
"Ain't there a Catholic p asked
LOvey Mary.
Don't you see them hollyhawks an
snowballs an laylacs? All Of them
are Catholics, take up lot. Of room an
needin the prunin' knife pretty often,
but bringin' cheer an brightness to the
whole garden when it needs It most.
Yes, I guess you'd have trouble think
in of any sect amt got planted.
Them ferns over in the corner is Qua
kers. amt never seen no Quakers,
but they tell NE that they don't b'lieve
in fowerin' out; that they like cool
ness an shade an quiet, an are jest
the same the year round. These colea
plants are the apes they are all
. Ill.,, e. Ill 80, taba IN a,v oolor