1 8 GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 



compliment of dallying awhile at the fence. Not a single 

 one who passes neglects to toss over a bit of good-humored 

 advice. Then, too, the searchlight of criticism, directed first 

 upon the proportion of the beds, shifts presently to the arrange- 

 ment of vegetables and flowers, and brings out the grotesque 

 effect of a few lonely cornstalks, as well as the upspringing 

 — overnight, one could swear — of a fine lot of weeds. No 

 other school task, it would seem, could ever be so constantly 

 on parade. Alive to all the cruel possibilities of the situation, 

 acutely supersensitive to it, as often happens, the teacher re- 

 solves in self-defense that from the grown-up point of view 

 there shall be nothing to regret. Clearly the way completely 

 to safeguard the situation is to keep every decision firmly 

 in his own hands, conscientiously mapping out each detail 

 (doubtless by the midnight oil) and then indicating in advance 

 what shall be planted, and when, and how, and where. Then 

 later he calls in, if he likes, that well-meaning but sadly dis- 

 turbing element, the children, who, do their worst, cannot now 

 make a mess of it. 



And yet while one gate is being so conscientiously guarded 

 against the dangers of infant folly, a more dangerous because 

 more subtle enemy complacently enters at the other ; for this 

 very position of perfect safety is threatened by its own pecu- 

 liar enemy, too much safety. It is easy enough to explain. 

 In proportion as they are being denied their freedom, the 

 children are losing the precious chance of learning by their 

 blunders. If this, by some educational flash light, could once 

 be revealed to the teacher, so careful about man)- things, he 

 would be the very first to see his mistake and to realize 

 that such a garden was actually in its plan and purpose the 

 teacher's, and only by courtesy the children's. It is an in- 

 stance of how the most beautiful pool may have the most 

 dangerous shallows. 



