i8 
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 hne 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 teaeher re- 
solves in self-defense that from the grown-up point of view 
there shall be nothing to regret. Clearly the way eompletely 
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 ehildren, 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 many 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. 
