EARLY PREPARATIONS 
11 
the world that Aunt Amanda had really loved. It 
was pitiful to hear Timothy’s sharp scissors going 
clip, clip every minute. He had always told our 
great-aunt, he said, how much finer the roses would 
be if he could have pruned the bush properly. Of 
course we let him go on. 
He did not clip the yellow bell shrub, nor the 
two spireas that stand near one of the front corners 
of the house. Neither did he touch the three lilac 
bushes near the stable. These are the only orna- 
mental shrubs on the place. With a wave of his 
hand, Timothy said that he would give them all a 
good spraying before their buds opened. 
We had then no outfit for spraying. We de- 
cided, however, to buy one, since it would be needed 
throughout the blossoming season, and we could 
not be always borrowing Miss Wiseman’s tools. 
Already Little Joseph and Timothy had cleaned 
up and sharpened the tools we had found at the 
Six Spruces; but many of them were now anti- 
quated, although we were glad enough to have 
them. 
After rolling and raking the lawns, clipping the 
grape-vine and the blush-rose bush, and spraying 
the cherry-trees, currant-bushes and shrubs, it was 
astonishing how tidy the old place looked. 
When Miss Wiseman came to see us she ex- 
claimed : “Goodness, children, how surprised your 
Aunt Amanda would have been ! You really have 
given this place a quite different look, and with only 
