The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-10


sent us the wherewithal for a summer va
cation" she observed. when You have
money given YOU for "a certain purpose, II
you have a New England conscience you
feel bound to spend it in just that way,
hut am homesick ALREADY WHEN lhihh
OF having to leave
Me and the rest OF your TRENDS!
Mrs. Lutterworth inquired
mo. the garden | can't help thinking
of all the caterpillars and cut-worms and
beetles that will have a feast. Patrick is
so careless"
Miss Deborah. I believe you love the
garden better than anything in the world
but your sisters and the cat"
The cat and your sisters You should
have said," interpolated Miss Letitia.
1T isn't very fiattering," Mrs. Lutter-
worth went OH in her vivacious way.
You can't bear to leave the garden, and
you love the cat so well you take him
with you, but you can say goodby to me
without a pang."
Sarah Lutterworth, / have such per-
feet confidence in your power to look af-
ter yourself and others that / can leave
you with an easy mind, whereas Mr..
Gray, poor dear creature. would be lost
the garden
Miss Deborahs fears proved true pro-
phets. When she and Lucy came home
from the mountains a week earlier than
they first planned, period OF drought
Joined to Patrick's conscience, that was
not OF New England origin, had turned
their once blooming garden into an IN
sects' paradise.
Miss Deborah went from one patch OF
flowers to another, mourning their tate
in an cver-increasing crescendo OF de
Gpair.
Lucy, the sweet peas are blighted,
she announced THE dry weather has
been too much for them. l wish we could
have imported some of our mountain
rains. Look at the dahlias, Lucy They
are dying up The garden hasn't been
watered properly. l knew how it would
be- Look at those blister-beetles! Heav'
ems. What a looking garden! And the
corn! Cut-worms have been at work
there! Patrick OHalloran, what were
you thinking off"
''shure, ma'am, didn't create the cut
worms, he said sulkily.
Il am aware of that. / never accused
you OF having ingenuity enough to create
anything. Why under the sun didn't you
water things properly?'
Sure, ma'am, | was watering and wa
tering. until / nearly got a sunstroke,
and then the hose busted"
well, if it hadn't been for Clara 81
monds and Frances, we shouldn't have
anything Left said Miss Deborah. 81
am very glad they made you buy a new
hose. There is one comfort, their gar
Gen is in almost as bad condition. What
am / saying? / oughtn't to take comfort
in thing like that. 1 am glad Letitia is
away. The state of the garden would
annoy her exceedingly"
Deborah and Lucy missed their sister.
but there was a kind of freedom that
came with her absence which was almost
Intoxicating. They took their tea in the
woods two OF three times week, and on
pleasant mornings had their breakfast
served on the piazza; they ate baked
beans and brown bread as often as they
liked, and on one verto-be-forgotten o.
cason went so far as to indulge in roast
of pork. They even lost their heads to
such an extent as to invite old Peter New
hall to spend day with them. All these
things occurred however, after Miss De
horah's great coup d'etat concerning the
garden.
Il am sure the flowers would do better
II we could import few toads to eat up
the insects" she said to Lucy, the morn
ing after their return.
How are you going to get your toads2''
Lucy asked languidly.
Lucy Wyatt, You are the most I'M
enterprising person! You are not lazy!
you'd water and weed. and water and
weed until your back broke, but it would
never occur to you to improve matters.
Listen to this extract from the Farmer S
Voice:
'Centipedes. caterpillars, blister-bee
ties and bugs of every description are
equally welcomed by the toad. /.
Half q dozen toads in garden will keep
it free from the ordinary garden pests
They are easily tanned, and spend the day
in some shaded nook along the fence OF
under a cabbage leaf, coming sedately
forth 1T night to find their food.
There are toads enough in town. i shall
offer to pay Patrick five cents for every
toad he brings to me-
Patrick proved to be no more enterpris-
ing than Lucy, and Miss Deborah was
obliged to take mere stringent measures.
Lucy found her one morning busily
writing. II wish Letitia were here tG
put this advertisement in proper shape
che said. "Letitia is so clever with her
pen. But I can't wait to send this to
Newport. and I suppose she would think
my scheme crazy. I have decided to adj
vertise in the County News for toads
There are plenty of toads in Eppingham
and plenty of children. The only thing
is to devise a scheme to bring them to-
gether. How does this read?
WANTED TOADS!!' That will at
tract the eye of the most hardened reader.
Children, here is your chance. Five
cents reward for every toad brought to
No SO Main street, Eppingham No frogs
need apply.
Il think it would be little more dig
nifed to leave that on about the children,
and say five cents wi be given for every
toad brought to Mo- So Main street. Ep-
bingham frogs not desired" said Lucy
with hesitation.
1T would take all the spice out of the
advertisement to alter it: it can't be very
dignified. no matter how you word it. .
caid Misc Dahnrah with n little lal1ph 81