14 ELIZABETH AND HER MOTHER. 



enough, they must go to the door, or to the 

 bedroom up - stairs ; and if they once get 

 their elbows on the window-sill, no more 

 hearty work that day. But Elizabeth was 

 none of this sort, and though she was so 

 common-looking in her face and dress, and, 

 as I said, none of the other girls kept her 

 company, yet I always noticed, that when 

 any of them were in any trouble (and they 

 were safe to be after our young gentlemen 

 had been home from college), they were sure 

 to find their way to her to make her their 

 friend. 



But what's all this to do with flowers or 

 gardening ? "Wait a bit, and you shall see ; 

 and if young gardeners cannot learn a lesson 

 from what I've noticed, they can't do what 

 I did. That first evening I went in, I sat 

 still and out of the way, till I saw the old 

 woman going for some wood to make up the 

 fire for her irons (she and her daughter were 

 ironing), when up I got, and fetched it for 

 her ; and after a while, and some supper, I 

 went to bed, and such a bed ! after my 

 hole in the shed, it was like a nobleman's to 

 me. Next morning, when I went to work, 

 I was told by the head -gardener that the 



