Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-04-23

couldn t'come.' Susy didn't say so,
but guess now she did it because she's
joined that Kindly Deeds Society that
our boys and girls have got up with the
teachers help. Sometimes now
think our village would be some helped
if we old folks should have one. Then
Miss Laviny spoke up and said LA
dies, | for one thank you for what
you We told us, and feel sure now this
society is a good thing, and believe
from now on I'll try to do a real kindly |
deed once in while" "So'll |" eX-
claimed another and another, and
really think that all the members of the |
sewing circle joined in, even if they |
didn't say so out loud. Annie Bulfinch |
had such a good time reading to old
Mrs. Caldwell that she went regularly
once a week. One day she brought a
bunch of some spring flowers that she
had picked coming home from school,
'Oh! thank you, Annie dear, )" said the
poor old shut-in, 81 do just love flowers,
and l hardly ever see any now, except
dandelion or two, some buttercups,
daisies and clovers. When was girl
| had a flower bed and some beautiful
rose bushes. And now do miss them
so. =" why don't you have bed in
your front yard where you could see
them while you're sitting at the win
dow" ooh! Jack, he was her son,
lazy, good-for-nothing fellow who
spent most of his time at the village
store-"he doesn't care bit for
flowers, and when asked him the other
day whether he would make a bed
there, he said he hadn't time He was
too busy now, but p'raps in the fall
he'd try to make one. He'll find a good
excuse then for not doing it" And
there she stopped and Annie said no
more about it. But the next day when
she could get Molly by herself, she told
her about Mrs. Caldwell and the flow
ers. ending up with "Molly, why
couldn t some of us make a flower ped
IN the yard front of her windw? | am
sure Dick and some of the boys would
dig up the ground and we girls could
sew the seeds and put in some plants.
I've got some nice rose-shoots that I'm
sure would grow there. Here comes
Dick Let's ask him.. Dick thought
it first-rate thing but said that she
ought to ask Mrs. Caldwel's leave
first Annie stopped at the house on
her way home and the tears came into
the poor woman eyes when she assent
ed eagerly to the proposal 81 dom
see what has got into these children
that they should care for me so, was
r what she said to h rself when Annie
r went out. 1t was a lively bunch OF
boys and girls a few afternoons after
| this in Mrs. Caldwell's front yard. II
: did not take them long to make the
bed and put in the plants and sow the
seeds. When this was done, they
cleaned up the yard, raked the grass il
f front of the house and MADE everything
, look much tidier than when they came
There wasn'ta flower bed in the village
which was watched and taken such care
2 of as that Every weed was taken out
, for nearly every day some boy or CIR
3 stopped and looked over it and watereo
} it if it seemed to need it. The boy:
mended the front fence and fixed W
things 5, that by the middle of summer
{ there wasn't prettier or nicer cared-foi
front yard on the village street thar
r Mrs. Caldwel's. 1t is impossible t
| describe the pleasure that it brough
! into her-till then forlorn life. She
4 watched the growth of every plant anC
t the bursting of almost every bud will
t the greatest interest. Life had ceased
v to be burden, and she had also becom,
t acquainted with dozen boys and girl'
e whose care for her fower-bed was ;
t never-ceasing delight. Her son, Jack
s even, was affected by it. He left of
D lounging at the store so much, and be
e gan to work as he had never done be
O fore; for a feeling of shame at havinl
!. the village children do what he ought t
5 have done began to creep over him an,
f make a new man of him. How nue.
d this added to his mothers happiness, i
!, is hard to tell. Many of the village, peopl
e too, were led by it to tidy up their from
t yards and even to put flowers in them
t they had none before. Even the Lans
n down people became interested an
d worked some on the grass in front O
their houses.