CHAPTER XII 



MARY LEARNS PRUNING 



[May] 



" T DO some pruning this afternoon," remarked Mr. 



-I- Trommel to the under-gardener, who was swing- 

 ing sociably on his gate ; it is not always easy to go 

 straight home from school. 



"Suppose I come over and help you?" suggested 

 Mary, eagerly. "I have a knife now." 



"Certainly, certainly," assented the old gardener. 

 "And how does the little garden? " he asked. 



"Oh, everything's coming up : poppies and ragged- 

 sailors and What makes so many things look alike 

 when they 're just coming up? " she asked, breaking 

 off suddenly. "They all seem to begin with the two 

 little round leaves." 



"Well," said Mr. Trommel, "I suppose it must be 

 because they are very little. Some people think very 

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