494 "MY FATHER'S GARDEN." 



their income gradually diminishing. To make matters 

 worse, a new railway takes from them three-fourths of their 

 acre of ground, which they hold only as yearly tenants, and 

 for which consequently, they can claim but small compen- 

 sation. At length poverty fairly stares the worthy family 

 in the face, when an idea strikes George's mother that he 

 might build a small greenhouse with some old bricks and 

 posts that had long lain unused on the ground. Old Able 

 is almost prostrated by his misfortunes, but George sets to 

 work, manages to buy the glass, receives a liberal supply 

 of cuttings from old friends of his father, and grows a 

 house full of "bedding plants." Our first extract will 

 serve to show that unlike many youths of his age, George 

 ^calculated," and this habit of mind, no doubt, contributed 

 largely to his ultimate success : 



" I calculated that if everything went on prosperously 

 the most I could expect in the shape of return for the 

 outlay and labour would be from a few bedding-out 

 plants rather late in the spring, for I had no doubt, well- 

 known and respected as my father was, he would obtain 

 plenty of cuttings for me for nothing when he went round 

 among his friends, for no class of men are kinder to one 

 another than gardeners, or more ready to help each other 

 to a job of work." 



Sister Jane, who was an invalid, and compelled to lie 

 down almost constantly through suffering from a spinal 

 complaint, not only sympathised with and counselled our 

 hero, but also lent him material aid in preparing cuttings, 

 which her nimble fingers enabled her to do much more 

 quickly than he could. As George's small greenhouse did 

 not wholly occupy his time, he wisely thought he might 

 try to earn a few shillings elsewhere, which, while it did 

 not prevent attention to his home duties and the develop- 

 ment of his plants, gave him what the industrial mind 

 delights in constant and useful employment. To this end, 

 he undertakes to teach gardening to boys in a reformatory. 



" The boys tried me very sorely for the first few days, 



