260 THE FLORIST. 



Gardeners, like other people, think they are worse oiF than every- 

 body else ; and when they see fine clothes, and fine houses and horses, 

 and the like, they fancy them that have them must be happy. So 

 listen to this. 



Before I lost my place, one stormy November evening about eight 

 o'clock, we were sitting by the fire, when there came a knock at 

 the door. I took the light, and had hardly turned the lock and 

 handle, when open it blew, out went the candle, and in came, with 

 the wind and rain, a young lady asking shelter. We soon had her 

 in by the fire ; and, poor thing, what a figure — so wet and so drag- 

 gled ! With it all she put on a deal of airs, and talked about being 

 used to ride in a carriage, not being used to get wet, and the like. 

 My wife gave me a hint, and so I took my lantern, put on my coat, 

 and off into the houses to see all right, as every gardener should do 

 before he goes to bed. A drop of candle-grease here and there, 

 now and then, always pleased me when I saw it in a morning, as it 

 shewed my foreman had had a look out for a slug or something the 

 evening before. W^ell, the rain cleared off and the moon shone out ; 

 and when I got in-doors again the lady was gone. 



" Poor thing," said my wife, " she's the governess at the Grange 

 House, and been brought up a lady, and yet she's so thin of clothes, 

 and so proud, I could hardly get her to put on my thick shawl and a 

 pair of my shoes and stockings to go home in, though she'd catch 

 her death of cold to keep those on that's by the fire. I did get her 

 to, with some coaxing, poor thing, though she sobbed as if her heart 

 would break when 1 wrapp'd her up well and made her comfortable, 

 and saw her into the village. '' 



A few evenings after this, she came again, and brought back my 

 wife's things. We were sitting round the table, and our little boy 

 was drawing, in his way, to amuse himself, and had got a sprig of 

 jasmine. She didn't seem in any hurry to go, but took her bonnet 

 off, and sat down with us, and took his pencil, and shewed him how 

 to make it look more natural, and said if he would like to learn, she 

 should like to teach him a little ; and she drew him a stalk, with a 

 leaf and fiower, and bid him copy them a good many times, till he 

 could do them well, and she would give him another lesson when 

 she came again. After this she often looked in, and very kind she 

 grew ; and, like every body else, she told my wife all her troubles 

 — an odd thing to me ; but I take it they looked upon her as a kind 

 of nurse. Her father had been quite a gentleman, but spent all his 

 money while he lived ; and when he died, his house and all his land 

 went to the eldest son. It seems unnatural, but I believe it's true ; 

 for I know when my lord died, my lady and all the children had to 

 leave the park, and live in a small house some miles off, and their 

 eldest son, a very wild fellow, came into all. Poor Miss Laura had 

 to go out for a governess, and came into a family, not far from our 

 squire's, to teach their daughters. The master was as nice kind a 

 man as ever lived ; but the lady hadn't been brought up with gentry, 

 and nobod)'- could bear her, she was so mean and unhandsome in 

 every thing she did. 



