A KITCHEN GARDEN. 109 



When the hay was stacked, and one board nailed 

 on the fence so that the cattle could no longer wan 

 der wheresoever they listed, a careful examination of 

 the garden gave the following result : Weeds profuse 

 and luxuriant ; vegetables scarce and sickly ; peas 

 about six inches high, well cropped, without flowers 

 or pods ; tomato-plants small, and well shaded by the 

 surrounding weeds ; egg-plants entirely invisible, hav 

 ing probably gone back into the egg in disgust; bean 

 poles tall and vigorous, beans about one foot high, 

 being nearly up with the neighboring grass, and ap 

 parently unable to climb any higher. The other 

 garden-truck was not to be found, and it required 

 great discernment to distinguish the garden from the 

 residue of the five acres. Weeville said it was no 

 matter, after all, as he could supply me with what 

 ever I wanted from his garden, and that it was al 

 ways cheaper to buy vegetables than to raise them ! 



My glorious anticipations had dwindled ; aspara 

 gus, cabbages, beets, strawberries, raspberries, pears, 

 and plums had been given up ; and now the hope of 

 peas, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and egg-plants was to 

 be destroyed. That garden on which I counted so 

 greatly which was to have furnished not merely 

 cheap food for my family, but subject for exultation 

 over city friends had proved a failure. Daniel 

 O Rourke peas were not to be ; crisp lettuce could 



