For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16895, 21 November 1922, Page 3

For the Children

BILLY’S GARDEN. Billy lived in a big city, and ever ■ since he could remember lie had wanted ' a garden. He just longed tor a place • all his own. where he could put seeds 1 into the, soft brown earth and then wait and watch until the little green shoots began to poke their way out to gaze up at tho big. wide world. ft ’ would be such •un to water them and ‘ greater fun still when the little bright coloured flowers themselves appeared. 1 Can you imagine the joy with which ' j Billy raced home from school one • day, after the teacher had announced 1 to the w.hole class that they were to 1 have a garden up on the verv top if tho building! Some 'kind, thoughtful f people, who knew all about the plea ! sure to be derived from growing things, 1 realised the possibilities of a flat roof. Aliss Brown, who taught th© class In * v. I'iich Billy was, hail shown the children some brightly coloured packages eon- ( taining tho of which each bov 1 and girl was to have a share, when 1 th© right time for sowing them arrived, j Then there were small trowels and 1 watering cans, all provided by theso £ same kind people who had arranged for the roof garden. It was all so tre- 1 mendouslv interesting! BILLY HAS HIS OAY N GA RDEN. “ Alummie, A.lummie!” Billy shouted ‘ when he reached home. “ I'm going to \ have a really truly garden at last.” ‘ His mother was just as delighted as Billy himself and Daddy, too, joined m the general enthusiasm. The little hoy did not remember, as f l hD parents did, the dear little trim I garden, with its climbing roses and tall Jl hollyhocks, which had been a part of his % first home, nor 1 lie beautiful old manor, with its well-kept lawns and 1 great rhododendron hushes, where his s father had worked for so many years as li c: k 1 gar d e nor. f Billy’s first impressions had come to u bjgi in less peaceful day.-. His father £ be first learned to recognise in the tall. M khald-clad figure who came to see his t mother and himself —far too seldom for a liking Fur-b r©’oi-:inr r a? lh©re k used to b then! T r called “ the smilev face ” all dav lone 11 Then, of course, there was that wonder fill occasion which the little boy would c never forircL A\bcii all flic bcils rang i L :1i ~ : I.(•( 11 • '! 11 >II I 1 < I :•I 1. 1 V. 11 v-r-1 i ft :■ • ■s. -.1 I

was soon after this that Daddy come Lome to' stay. Since then nothing -o lovely had happened until the news of a garden on tlie schoolhouse roof bail been broken. In a short time everything was ready. Each child was given a little plot in which to sow bis seeds and some garden tools with which to work. And how they did work, to be sure! Toward the middle of the term everything was in fine shape. Several of tho little gardens seemed to stand out from among the rest. Billy's garden was noticeable, for he had spent every spar© minute he had in careful thought as to how to make best- use of the materials I supplied. Each little flower, lifting it face proudly towards the bin© sky, .seemed as if if wanted to tell everyone how much love had been expended upon iis growth. One dav. when all the little gardeners were busily weeding, some visitors were announced. The children had never seen them before, but Aliss Brown whispered that these were the kind friends who had given them the garden. After th© general effect had been praised and admired, one of the visit « - . stopped beside Billy's little natch. \ How very, very prettv!” she said and j smiled. “I think voir must love flowers as much as T do.” Billy responded eagerly, and soon the two were deep in animated conversation. AN INVITATION. Airs Forsythe asked the little bov question after question, with regard to the work ho had put into bis garden, and he answered so brightly and intelligently i hat v hen. a 1 last. it was tim for the visitors to leave, the lady turned to Aliss Brown and said with much pleasure in her voice : “ I have had such a delightful time. If this little boy’s on thusia>m were the only return for th - money it; has cost us to put. in this roof j garden, it would he worth ©very peunv vc-c spent.” Iheu. -burning' toward Billy, she- said: “I want you to come and see mv garden, dear. I shall jim 10-o'to show it to vo-» 7 ” B Y.v„ ..... ... .. , ~ When th© dav actually arrived. BY! could hardly wait until it was tin© to Starr. •• Please put on your pj-et i i©..r ili Al in..,,.;- •' 1 , ...

• 1 lie one that looks like lilac flowers. Mrs Forsyth© said that on© of the reasons she loves flowers so much is be < a us© they always wear such previs dresses.” Of course, Alummie complied and really, wben Billy was attired in hi clean, white sailor suit, no one woulc ever liave guessed that their home wain a rather cj-owded. tlingv street, to; they both looked as if they belonged £ that dear little white cottage with it trim garden in far-av av England. Tin is just what Airs Forsyth© thouglr when site came to fetch them in he automobile. A WONDERF F L TI Al E ALTOGETHER. AVhat a ivonderful drive tliat was! L fact, it was a wonderful day altogether T!vciything that Billy had ever dream ed about and longed for seemed t com© to him on that day. Airs Foi scythe’s beautiful country home seeiuei to Hie little boy like tlie palace of on o) th© kings or queens he had rea< about in his story book. The smooth green lawn, vith th© brilliantly plu inaged peacocks, ibe little lake and thminiature waterfall. Hi© quaint ye\ 1 lodge clipped and trained into so man -trange shapes. Then the rose gar den ! Billy bad never seen so many rose in ull his life. He had no words, bu just squeezed and squeezed Alummie' band and she understood perfectly, be cause she felt just the same way. Before they left. Alra Forsythe liaasked many questions. Sl>© learnei how Daddy had given up the work In loved to become a soldier, because i seemed the right thing for him to do* and how, after t-h© war was all over, tin little family crossed the ocean thinking there might be greater opportunitye lor them. But disappointment hu< {allowed and sometimes it had beei hard for Alummie to keep a “smiley face ” and for Daddy to remain brav< end cheerful. Airs Forsythe listenc attentively and then said she would lik. to talk with Billy's father. And now comes th© best part of tin story, for after a few weeks the littk ianiily leit tho dingy crowded strec: and went to live in another little whitcottage with climbing roses. Daddy i- once more doing tlie won lie loves, as Afrs Fors> th< zarde* and Afiinimie. wbotber sh© is gath©rin; fruit- in the garden or making jelly ii the kitchen, sings most of ih© dav A\ hi!©, as lor Jjiiiy. perhaps in* on© • Jiappior than he. for now directlv x-hno i c : over he runs home, ©els in hi overalls and work* in n little i*.u •!> warden that is al! his owi*. uh. i Alummie call- him in to sup; dfaltlingT Ho was a i.iendly jiillo d©g. and a he was all alone toe cnildren ;hough ic lost. > o m fi their own and called him Dumpling and played with bun until dinner-ume “ Gump ling shall go home with us and we will giro him a plate of sans age and potato.'' said Fritz and Lisa “No!” cried Hans and Minna. “H« must com© with us, and have a bowl o sheep’s iiead soup.” " Sausage and potato are nicer Thai soup,” said Fritz. " No, they are not!” shouted Hans “ Let us ask Dumpling which he like; best,” suggested Lisa. But this did not settled ihe matter for when Fritz and Lisa asked the littk dog il he did not think sausages anc potato the nicest possible kind of din nor to have, be only wagged bis tai and barked. And J>umpling did exactly the samt when Hans and Alinna asked whet belie had ever tasted anything so goo< as sheep’s head soup. "Our best plan will' l*e to start to: home, and then w© shall sec which o use he will follow.” -aid Alinna. \nc she and Hans ran toward.* the farm while Fritz and Lisa walked toward tho mill. Dumpling looked at the broad back? of his new friends for a few minute*, then, turning hi- tail upon them, lu s trotted off towards the cottage in iLe wood: “ Look at him!” ©ried Hans and Ami t Fritz, and ho -aid. " 1 don’t believe ho is lost at all." This was quite true, fur Dumpling was the woodman's dog, and lie was just going homo iii his own dinner of bones and bl-ouii.