The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-12-29
PARKER'S GARDEN.


81 four months moved into coy
over fiat on the North side last win
ter and surrounded themselves with
heir wedding presents and other new
" acquired penates nothing seemed
% be lacking to make that particular
flat new Eden. As spring came on
md the trees began to bud little
plot Of ground in the. back yard sug'
yested great possibilities TO the minc
of Mrs. Parker. Previous TO her mar.
rage she had lived in little town IN
Michigan, where yearly, after the
manner of villagers, her father hao
planted little garden back of the
house and supplied the table with veg
etables in the summer,
As She stood looking idly from the
kitchen window one April afternoon
the idea occurred to her that the little
square of ground mentioned might
be utilized for gardening purposes in
the same manner, and when her hus.
baud came home that evening sht
preached the subject to him. Parker
embraced the idea with enthusiasm,
and acted on it as soon as possible.
The earth was spaded and raked dur.
ing his spare moments and the plant
ing began. 1t was so small that the
whole affair seemed more of joke
than a serious undertaking, but the
ground was plotted of into several
beds, and Parker bought packages Of
seed Lettuce, onions, peas and rad
ishes were planted and around edges
of the beds Mrs. Parker sowed several
sorts of flower seeds.
Their labor ended, they waited for
the plants to materialize When the
first green onion shoot pushed its way
out OF the ground there was JOY and
wonder in the Parker household.
Every evening Parker made detailed
inspection of the miniature garden
and his wife spent part of each day
wedding the beds.
Daily the garden grew, and the
Parkers came to regard it as thing
wonderful to contemplate. Never
were onion shoots more richly green
and symm etrical; never were lettuce
leaves more delieately veined and
crisp in texture. The shell-pink Of the
radshes as they pushed their way out
OF the earth was surely miracle
The effect Of the entire garden, sym
metrical. verdant, every bed banked
to nicely and bordered with row
of flowers--the whole being a quaint
reminder of the days in the little home
town awakened the affection of the
Parker couple, and was especially dear
to the eyes of Mrs. Parker.
Summer came, and the garden
hloomed as the rose. The onions
reached an edible size and the lettuce
and radishes also attained a state OF
usefulness. At one of his evening in
spections Parker remarked this fact
and suggested that they sample the
products of their garden His wife
acquesced rather doubtfully, but OF
the next evening a small portion oil
each bed was placed before Parkei
to pass Judgment on. He pronounced
the specimens excellent. In fact, h'
grew enthusiastic and averred that
never before had he tasted vegetables
of such Hesperidian flavor
The next day and the next the gar
den was drawn upon for the evening
meal and IL was plain to be seen tina
many repetitions would leave the bed!
bare. Mrs. Parker saw that her gar
den was. doomed, and did some hare
thinking. That little plot OF greer
represented to her more than itsquoti
of vegetables and she was 10th to lose
it. Surrounded by tall, unneighborly
fences, back stairways and forbiddins
housewalls, it stood out fresh anC
green and brought memories of hel
old home and the home folk. She re
solved to furnish Parker with hi
vegetables from the market and say,
her garden.
For week the plan worked well
and Parker continued TO show Ell
thusiasm over his garden. Only once
he looked askance at some lettuce
which was rather wilted, but his VIII,
explained that she had picked it in thu
morning and had forgotten to put i
in the refrigerator, He even remarked
that the garden did not seem to be di
minishing by the weeks foraging
whereat his wife quickly spoke of 9th
or matters.
The garden might have continued t,
furnish them with green stuff and re
main as well filled as ever if tele
gram stating that Mrs. Parker
mother was i'll had not sent the daugh
ter on hasty trip 70 her home.
"Now, don't worry about me Will,
you're away. dear" said Parker, rs h,
saw his wife Off I'm write you ever,
day and keep house myself till yo'
get back"
So for long wifeless week he pre-
pared his own meals and longed for
sight of a certdin trim figure abou
the fat After the first few days h,
babe fair TO become vegetarian
drawing upon the garden for the maio
I part of his meals. Conversely, hi
meals drew upon the major part of tn
garden. Slowly it disappeared befor
his onslaughts, and when at last hi
weary bachelor week was over til
garden peas. onions, lettuce and rad
ishes-was no more. Four bare earth,