Middletown transcript., 1905-05-20
THE GARDEN OF CYNTHIA's DREAMS
Ry CARROLL WATSON RANKIN

III Qeep uTlItS COHCediCu tio Pi
that surrounded the home of Miss Gym
thia Bradford !; for no ''Village Improve
ment Association" had as yet invaded
Tortoiseville, and fences were stu III
vogue.
A stout icicle, some four feet in length'
hung from the corner of the porch WINE
a row of less imposing ones frlnged the
humble caves. The air was sharp, ior
the cheap thermometer nailed against
the unpainted pillar registered ten de-
grees below zero.
But within the little house it was md
summer. A thrifty geranium in a tin
can ON the window-sill was-in full bloom;
and there was fierce rivalry between
the bright scarlet OF the blossoms and the
sanpuinary hue of the pictured lobster
upon the can.
Cynthia, enveloped in a shawl, ana
with her feet in the oven, was enjoying
a stroll about her garden. Her den
was a beautiful one, for little, poverty
stricken Miss Cynthia spent thousands
of imaginary dollars upon it, annually.
It contained all the high priced novel
ties of the season !; all the improved strains
and choicest hybrids of all the flowers
ever discovered, and little Miss Cynthia
owned them all. To an ordinary obser-
yer, the article spread upon Miss Gym
thia's lap was nothing more than large
sheet of manila paper, adorned with lead
pencil drawn squares and circles but to
Cynthia it was very much more, for 1t
was the garden of her dreams.
81 think" said she, "these Emperor
William sweet peas would look better
alongside of Lord Beaconfield and them
blood-red Victoria pansies ought to go
next to the snow queen. The cannas are
looking fine this afternoon. That there
Musa Ensete was just the thing for the
center of the Gamma bed. Pm glad put
the castor oil plant-I mean the Rlclnus
Zanzibariensis- in the coleus bed. )"
The owner of the garden loved the long
Latin names almost as well as she did
the flowers, and she remembered them
as easily as she did the more common
names, though her pronunciation OF
them was sometimes peculiar.
"Myr she continued, with regrettul
sigh, touching with her pencil two oblong
figures on her paper, 'them tulips wuz
terrible fine. Them Kaiserkroons wuz
the reddest and yellowest things l eyer
saw but I dunno but liked the pink
and white ones better. Them Salvador
Roseas and Murillos we're just lovely !"
The pencil travelled to point upon
the paper where there was depicted all
elaborate star.
''I amt sure" said Miss Cynthia,
'that it's right or safe to have these here
tuberous begonias. They say the Lord
never made 'em that 'twuz all the work
of man. 1t seems like flying in the face
Of Providence, and going against Nature
to plant such things, but they're terrible
pretty flowers. Nobody'd ever suspect
'em of being begonias. The colors are
lovely too-just like velvet"
Miss Cynthia, who had never beheld
even one of those gorgeous hybrids, gave
deep sigh Of enjoyment.
"My Amt the roses sweet to-day
Just look at the Duke Of Edinburgh and
Franceska Kruger, all just a-loaded with
blossoms. That group OF shrubbery
Cynthia touched a wavering line along
the top of the paper is just awful pretty
A little landscape gardening helps place
lot. That there lily pond might have
grown there, it's SO natural"
Beside the garden on paper, Miss Gym
thia was the possessor of a good sized lot
on which stood the tiny house in which
she lived. These, with small but GER
tain income, she had inherited from her
father. Her mothers legacies, weak
heart, a passion for gardening, and an
intense love for flowers had been of less
practical value. Her garden on paper
was all that garden should be; but i'm
reality her lot presented rather forlorn
appearance. She was obliged to grow
few vegetables for her own use. When
the seeds for these were purchased, there
was very little money left for the buying
OF flowers. The sum usually varied from
eleven to sixty-fve cents. Once indeed
she had had seventy-two cents but that
was red letter year. She invested six
cents OF that sum in postal cards. by
means OF which she tlmorously requested
catalogues from as many seedsmen. The
catalogues were great source of pleasure
to the little woman, bnt they weighed
heavily upon her conscience, for she felt
that she had obtained them under false
pretences.
1t was not until she was able to send
each firm pitiable small order that she
felt entirely free from guilt.
1t was the ambition of Cynthia's life to
convert the real garden into a faithful
simulacrum of the garden of her dreams.
but there seemed to be little prospect |
OF such consummation.
One day, early in the spring. Billy
Bayswater, lad that lived short dis
tance from Cynthia's home, raped upon
her door.
"Miss Cynthia" said lie, 'pve brought
you letter. | was up to the store and
Mr.. Curley said Id better bring it down
to you, if was coming this way"
"Why, that was real good of YOU. Billy
Come in, do, and I'll give YOU a piece
OF pie. don't know what possessed
me to put up SO many blueberries last
summer. l do like little pie now and
again; but it's awful discouraging to sit
down to the same pie, for seven days"
Billy, who was in the habit of ASSISTING
Miss Cynthia to dispose of her surplus
pie, was always glad when the store.
keeper, who was also the postmaster
commissioned him to carry his lonely
neighbor letter or parcel.
Il can't imagine" said Miss Cvntbi.