Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-11

YsHOsE Of us who are gardeners like
s y to talk our gardens over. But with
n our exchange Of information on the
z sNbject OF our gardens, and with all
the experience that we are glad to share
With one another concerning seeds and
bulbs and fertilizers and soils and sub
sQils and exposures. there Is one prod
vet that We are not prone TO do JUS
tfce to--at lenst In spoken words.
We. give the best and the earliest
and the latest Of our blossoms TO our
friends. and proudly credit our gar,
dens with them, but the most beautiful
and lasting things that are produced
there we have not learned SO readily
10 share--and those are our garden
thoughts"
Not that the thoughts which come to
us are anything but frngmcntary! That
y one Of the restful qualities Of our
thinking there, that We are not con-
sciously consecutive or even impercnb'y
logical. Apart from everything else,
al the sights and sounds that mo.
mentarily catch our attention, nll the
little reminders that we make TO our
selves for this or that future work to
be done, would prevent set medita /.
ton on any one subject. We do not
exactly think things out In way that
SAu Uc put lIltO WoTus Oh tHs spol "
made into n formula, rather do we
come into a state of mind which I
always think Is best described by that
short sentence in the parable Of the
Prodigal Son and which cnn be applied
to all OF US who emerge from n state
OF confusion into n state Of clarity
And when he came to himself, he
esid-I will arise and go to my
Father
ENOR after all that is what we do in
i our gardens. more perhaps than
anywhere else. we come To ourselves
That is. whatever Of us is steadfnst
and related not only to time but to
eternity. takes possession Of the lesser
self. and we who IRE wont ordinarily
to see things through glass darkly,
for the time at least. are face to face
with the true and the beautiful even
Qualities Of our life.
do not think I am ovcrstating il
This Is not just language. am really
bearing testimony. not only to what
my garden has done for me. but what |
know for fact other women's have
done for them. II | were a psyche
analyst, might he able to describe
the process scientifically by which just
the right physical pose induces the
right mental polSe. ana b0th together
make right spiritual poise. but
can only guess in my ignorance at the
causes of the effect The effect know
Our Lord was not the only one who
went into garden ''clcan for-spent.
nor is He the only one who has gon,
forth from Il garden content "witl
grief and shame"
That He knew gardens and wa:
aware of their potency and that. to-"
many times before His last test of thei
efficacy for n burdened soul, one ha
only to read some OF His gardei
thoughts to realize.
DERHAPS the most familiar Of Hi
1 thoughts to us. because Of thei
poetry. are those that came to Hin
regarding Gods forethought for Hi
children. As one reads the brief cpl
'"de which Christ's companions passe'
IN. and notes His words and attitud
e mind on that particular occasion
ne is aware Of many things that Wen
make up the picture. The surround
ings of the spot come vividy befor
he minds eye. Like most gardel
houghts--indecd all Of them. shoul
'hnk--this meditation had the sam
fragmentary beauty that thoughts il
gardens are bound to have. because o
all the Interruptions to divert the ey