The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-12-31

All the time she gathering In her apron
dropped leaves and poppy leaves to press be-
tween the leaves of the big Bible.
A little down the slope lay the vegetable garden
Of my father, full of long narrow beds. all turneu
over each year by the spade and the spine On
Lord but yet have the memory OF 1t On my pacA
Why had they not thought Of gardens to be 1ui
rowed by horsepower? But they had not THINK
because they were yet too full Of Old England
and a Yankee was, after all, the most INITIATIVE
creature In the world. He shook his fist, ano
wagged his tongue like the great bell at Mosco"
at the world Englishman, but for all that he was
himself English both in his stomach and In MS
head He not only spaded his gardens, but ne
took his snuff like an Englishman. and he built
his fence after an English pattern. what else
could explain why he had so many little yaros
about our house. and built our house close down
BY the road? As II we were crowded into llttie
island and had MOI room enough to turn around
in. We are more Independent now, ana really
are getting some notions Of our own But theh
our house stood only stones throw from the
highway, and there was a little box of yard ID
front, and this full Of locust trees and money
suckles and there at night the honey moths would
come and play high-spy in the blossoms George
Ill our great gray cat, would SIT down 10 look
at one that came too near-for what was tF-d
bird or a butterfly And like all Of US, he was
a bit of naturalist. He liked very much to classi
fy the world but never hestated to put the choic-
est specimens in his stomach which Is see, the
way with other scientists. They will eat
acknowledgement as quick as pig.
But YOU should have seen the "sturtions," as they
grew in rows all about the vegetable beds for our
father also had an eye to beauty DID he not ser
hollyhocks all about his corn feldsI Then. when
the great stalks Of crimson and gold stood up In
summer and the folk that went by to church
stopped to look with admiration. he said. Truly,
one shall not live by bread alone" AMI he liked
best those neighbors who looked the longest as
the little mother liked best those who ate most OF
her goodies The saffron, and DILL, and the rue
and rosemary and carraway, and fennel and the
mints. grew by the brook that ran down back OF
the house and garden and, indeed, there were
also more Of these herbs that stood always In the
Mace Of family doctor. Indeed, you may look;
but It was not so bad exchange. And as Tor
the notions they may have been no worse than
the guesses Of the profession nowadays
There is no good living where there are no
brooks, and this was brook Of the first water
1t dubbed out Of rocky hollow, some little secret
cavern and then it laughed and tumbled for half
mile before it got over its fun The little mother
in summer would walk with us there and she
would sometimes say "Now, let us go father over
to the glen, where the bigger brook IS, and the
ferns and the wtchhazel and the yellow birch,
and the beechdrops" Oh 1t was glorious fun!
But at night, after work. the dear father would
come early from the field, and say. Now, let us
all 90 for Strawberries" Then-ah but how can
tell YOU such delicious joys You know nothing
of wild Strawberries. much less do you know the
delight of creeping about the meadows and down
by the stumps in the pastures, while the bobolink
whistles, and the brooks gurgled, as we gathered
the long stems that lay lovingly against the grass
Where are we? / had no business out of season
and in midwinter to take you through snow banks
IN nick strawberries But tits such tricks the men,
ory PLAYS We will get at once back to the house.
The front door, as you see opens Just in the mid
die In halves and from that the hall runs back as
straight as Puritan's nose, right through every
thing till it lands in the big kitchen And the two
halves of the door swing open separately. l know
not why it was unless 1t were an inheritance from
pioneer days, when it was well to be able to look
ont and barley little before opening the way for
an Indian rush. &c. at any rate all the doors In
those DAVIS were cut across the middle. In the big
ward was the woodshed and that was full of piles
a. wood as dry as finder. 1t was the comfort Of
winter, and the very right arm of successful
home. From the woodshed we all went kicking
Arst the dirt from our boots, into the great living
room where we were all together Over this door
was twined with care a great bittersweet and
all over the stone curb of the well was a wild
white Towering cernatis.
"Father" said the little priestess, 60 It's as well
to cultivate the beautiful and enjoy 1t. Why