THE LURE OF THE GARDEN 
as to the rooms reserved in the house for the same 
young people. In this garden each child has a section 
for whose appearance and use he is responsible. There 
is usually a lawn for a playground, trees that can be 
climbed, and a pavilion or summer-house where lessons 
can be studied out-of-doors or games played on rainy 
days. Sometimes there is a stretch of smooth turf for 
bowls or croquet, or even a tennis ground, according 
as a greater or less amount of space is available. But, 
small or great, the place belongs to the children. They 
raise what they choose, fruits or flowers or vegetables, 
make their mistakes, and do all the work. They can 
have all the advice and guidance they want, but they 
are left free to make their own decisions and follow 
their own taste. Sometimes there are prizes for the 
prettiest bed, the choicest flower or finest vegetable, the 
contests being properly handicapped with regard to age 
and experience. The tiny plot belonging to the young¬ 
est toddler may present a rather bare and uneven ap¬ 
pearance, to be sure. All the more do those belonging 
to the older ones witness, in color effects, neatness, and 
their well-cared-for state, how rapid is the advance 
made and how easily these outdoor lessons are 
learned. Some children undoubtedly develop more 
taste, more natural skill and feeling for garden work 
than others. But the child who does not take more 
than a perfunctory interest in the subject is almost 
always the child who has never been given the chance. 
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