Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-10

How does your garden grow?' asked
the young man who leaned over the fence.
"Oh, dear" little Miss Mary told him,
look at It,"
There had been eight neat little plots
laid out in the empty city lot Miss Mary
the settlement worker from across the
way, had brought her little girls over,
and they had dug and planted and trained,
and yesterday there had been beans
climbing stur6ily up the poles, and toma-
toes already blossoming and parsley and
lettuce ready for salad, and radishes
"And now. look at it," said Miss Mary
again.
1t was trampled and torn and the lit
tie plants lay in the dust
"'The neighborhood boys did it," Miss
Mary said, your boys"
Are YOU sure?" asked the young man.
Yes" Miss Mary said, zone of my lit
tie girls saw them"
They are bad lot" said the young
man, with a stern setting of his lips. "G
am afraid shall have to give them up"
"Oh, dontN' said little Miss Mary
they need You all the more because they
are bad. Don't give them up"
He smiled at her. Don't you ever get
dlscouraged?" he asked
Sometimes" she admitted. when
things like this happen and her hand
swept out toward the ruined garden.
I'VE had planned to pick the lettuce this
morning, and we were going to have 1t
for lunch with our bread and butter"
81 tell you," said the young man,
whose name was oswald Cunning. 'Iu
make the boys give the little girls a
treat. It's better than furnishing them,
and what's more I'll make them come
over with it."
do you think they'll do it?" asked
Miss Mary, interested.
yes I'll tell them how disappointed
you are in them. They won't care what
the little girls think, but they are aw-
fully fond of you, Miss Mary"
"Oh." said little Miss Mary. with
blush
They show their good taste" said the
young man, earnestly. ~ am awfulIy
fond of you myself"
you mustn't talk such things to me-"
said little Miss Mary, but her eyes
sparkled.
How does your garden grow?
he sang, under his breath, and then he
said:
"I shall say it whenever like, for it's
true. I am very fond of you, Very, very
fond"
THE little girls are coming" said Miss
Mary severely "and you'd better CO."
So, still singing under his breath, he
went to the public Fairgrounds to meet
his class in physical training.
'I am ashamed Of YOU" he told them,
a little later, as they sat before him
shecpishly. Here 1 have spent my time
upon you and all I seem to have taught
you is how to make a lot of little girls
unhappy"
Jaw, gwan," protested Jim Doveslsy
from the front row,
And you have made Miss Mary un-
happy" said the teacher. with increas-
ing earnestness, land she was crying
when I got there this mornlng-crylng
over that poor little garden"
Jaw, gwan," murmured Jim again, and
there We're other apologetic murmurs
from the background.
1T seems to me-" Cunning told them,
and watched the effect of his words
that we ought to make II up to them
somehow"
lie had the boys there They had ex-
pected punishment, and now he proposed
restitution. 1t took their fancy at once.
Sure" came the hearty chorus.
1--WE can't make the little garden
grow" said their teacher. I'VE can't
bring life 10 the little dead plants. and
that's pity, too But we can let the
little girls know that we are sorry. They
were going to pick the lettuce today.
and nave 1t with their bread and butter
for lunch. And you know there isn't any
thing nicer than vegetables from your
own garden"
Ihere were various proposals, but Jim
DoYesky's was the most popular.
Lets buy thirty little pies, and each
girl will have one for her lunch"
With visions of indigestion, Cunning
protested, but the idea took like wildkre.
There was hasty pooling of finances,
and delegation Of boys started to the
nearest bakery
Il tried to switch them Off to berries !
or ice cream" Cunning explained later
10 Miss Mary, "but 1 couldn't. And it's |
the idea, not the artiele.%
Yes, Miss Mary agreed. She was
standing in the middle of the ruined gar
den, with the little girls digging In the |
eight little beds. Its nice of them, and |
only hope the little girls won't be ill."
Her voice was tired, and she looked /
warm and weary.
Poor little Mistress Mary" said Gun |
nlng' looking down at her has il been |
hard morning?p
The girls nearly cried their eyes OUT
she said. They Wept on my shoulder in /
punches, and II was wearing"
wish you would weep on my shoul- /
der, said the impertinent young man;
IL would help you lot and / should like