1876.J 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



313 



prominence before the public as generous and 

 liberal, while the same men have not offered 

 their gardeners a day this summer for recreation 

 and enjoyment, and to witness this mighty show. 

 Not only would the gardener be benefitted, but 

 his employer would also be, for the lessons to learn 

 are numerous — if only to study the landscaping, 

 the Horticultural Hall and the beds around it, 

 which speaks highly for the taste and judgment 

 of the " Horticultural Bureau," and a keen ob- 

 server will pick many a valuable " wrinkle " in 

 the gardening line. 



I have been waiting patiently to see if the vet- 

 eran Harding or some other "able genius'' 

 would have a plea through your valuable jour- 

 nal for the working gardener; and not only for 

 the gardeners, but for those also who have the 

 dignified position of helping the cook and 

 Bridget, the scullery maid; whose temperaments 

 are so well balanced as to be able to hold the 

 offices of gardener, coachman, boot-black, er- 

 rand boy and God knows what, combined! 

 Those who hold the position of gardener, in 

 the literal sense of the word, are very few and 

 far between, and let the gentlemen who employ 

 both classes study the matter. Let those who 

 employ the first, and treat them as such, give 

 them a few days between this and the end, with 

 a few fifty-cent pieces in their fists ; and let 

 those who employ the others, whether they are 

 peanut venders or insurance agents, give their 

 men a day, without a murmur, and without a 

 fifty cents. It will not only give new energy, but 

 it will be an indebtedness the servant will owe 

 his master, and an object for which he can re- 

 taliate by a more faithful, industrious and grate- 

 ful future. 



CHARLES READE ON FLOWERS. 



Father Leonard is eloquent and Mrs. Gaunt 

 listens to his church discourses with rapt atten- 

 tion. He lives in a sort of monastery with an- 

 other seminary priest and an old servant of Mrs. 

 Gaunt's, now a widow, Betty Gough, is the house- 

 keeper. Her little kitchen is a glorious place 

 compared with the parlor, for it is illuminated 

 with bright pewter, copper vessels, brass candle- 

 sticks and a nice clean woman with a plain 

 gown kilted up over a quilted petticoat. 



Betty sees Mrs. Gaunt driving by one day and 

 asks her to come in and see her place. The 

 priests are abroad until supper time and so Mrs. 

 Gaunt smiles and goes in. She shivers in the 

 cold gloom of the parlor, but she says he preaches 



so divinely, doubtless, angels come and brighten 

 the place for him. 



"Not always," says Betty, "I do see him with 

 his head down on his hands by the hour, and 

 hear him sigh ever so loud." 



" Betsy Gough ! " says Mrs. Gaunt, " let you 

 and me sit down and see what is wanting, (for 

 she pities him whom she has long revered). 

 " First and foremost methinks this window should 

 be filled with geraniums and jessamine and so 

 forth. With all his learning perhaps he has to 

 be taught; the color of flowers and golden green 

 leaves with the sun shining through, how it 

 soothes the eye and relieves the spirits ! yet every 

 woman born knows that. Then do but see the 

 bare table. A purple cloth on that, I say." 



" Which he will fling out the window," says 

 Betty. 



" Nay, for I'll embroider a cross on the middle 

 with gold braid." 



"Oh, bless your heart! he's all for mortifica- 

 tion." 



"Well, we must begin with the flowers; God 

 made them, and so, to be sure, he won't spurn 

 them.'" 



" Ay, ay," said Betty, "the flowers first." 



They plan other improvements, and Mrs. 

 Gaunt sends her gardener with a load of flowers 

 in pots, which Betty helps to arrange in the win- 

 dow and on the outside. 



Brother Leonard comes with his eyes down 

 and does not see the flowers. But when he en- 

 ters his room Betty hears a profound " Ah ! " 

 She bustles in and finds him standing in a 

 rapture. 



"Now, blessed be the heart that hath con- 

 ceived this thing and the hand that hath done it. 

 My poor room, is a bower of roses — all beauty 

 and fragrance." 



One day he found two watering pots in his 

 room marked with a cross. " That means no- 

 body's to use them but you, I trow," said Betty, 

 rather crossly. But our extract is already long 

 enough. 



The Gardener's Monthly is eminently practical, 

 and we seldom find much on the sentiment of 

 flower culture. Indeed this is perhaps too efflor- 

 escent a thing to be appreciably considered by 

 our ordinary senses — it is a mere blossom of the 

 blossoms, and yet it meets real spiritual needs 

 and is relishable now and then, like nonsense — 

 e'en by wisest men. 



The following items may serve to illustrate 

 this: 



