116 NEATNESS AND ORDER. [JULY 



I never meant to persuade you that garden- 

 ing is the most important of occupations, nor 

 that the lessons you are to learn from it are of 

 such consequence, that nothing else is to be 

 sought after; yet, as we must all have amuse- 

 ments, I think few will deny that gardening is 

 one of the most rational. It conduces to health, 

 gives pain to no living thing, and, without any 

 very great exaggeration of its merit and praise, 

 you may, by devoting your play hours to your 

 garden, learn things that may be useful here- 

 after. 



As I have got into a moralizing strain, let me 

 impress on you the value of a habit of keeping 

 all things neat, and in due order. The advan- 

 tage of so doing will be considerable ; the 

 neglect of it must prove fatal, as well to your 

 garden, as to whatever else you may engage 

 in. I could write you a long letter on this 



