OR, HOW I BECAME A FLORIST. 31 



Reaching the house, I found Mary standing at the gate 

 with a folded paper in her hand. 



" See, mother; father's paper has come/'' 



" What paper, dear ?" 



" The ' Agriculturist.' I found it in our box at the post- 

 office. May I open it, mother ? " 



" Yes, if you wish. But let us have some breakfast." 



After eating our meal, and putting the house in order, 

 I went to the garden to see if the shower of yesterday 

 had done any harm. I found that it had; the beds I 

 had raked so smooth, a few days since, were ploughed and 

 torn up by the rain, and many of the plants were broken 

 down by the wind. There were but very few flowers to bo 

 seen. Most of them were soiled and faded. How fortu- 

 nate I was in cutting them yesterday afternoon ! Finding 

 things in such a deplorable condition, I resolved to spend 

 the day in repairing damages. Getting a rake from the 

 tool-house, I began to rake over the beds and put things as 

 near right as I knew how. 



All the while I was so much interested in what I was 

 doing, that I paid no attention to where or how I began. 

 Indeed, I never thought of getting out of sight ; but boldly 

 went to work in full view of all the passers in the village 

 street. I had not been occupied long before I was aware of 

 some one standing on the sidewalk, and looking over the 

 fence at me. I say I was aware of it ; for I was too busy 

 to stop to look up and see who it was. 



