Green Mountain Freeman

From the Christian Citizen.

The Gardener and his Wife

'Beautiful weather, gardener! beautiful weather this! how it brings everything forward!'

'Aye, miss, it brings 'em on too forward; and then the frost catches them.'

'This Indian corn looks promising here.'

'No; that'll never come to nothing in this country.'

Can you tell me what bird that is singing yonder, gardener?

That's a blackbird, miss.

What a sweet note it has!'

They do a deal of mischief; eat most all the fruit.

'Why, I feel almost tempted to get a spade and dig myself; it looks so pleasant, and the ground so easy to work.'

'Ah! we want some rain: the ground's too dry to work well.'

So, finding everything seemed to go wrong with the gardener, I turned in to see his wife. and sweet little family of children. Mary has not strong health; but she has what is more precious still, and contributes more to enjoyment— a happy, cheerful temper. Her hands were working away in the kneading-trough when I entered; but she smiled, and replied to my inquiry of 'how do you all do?' All very well I thank you.'

'Well, Mary, you must be glad to see the winter over; it has been a very long, cold one; I am afraid you got on but poorly?'

'We did feel the cold, to be sure, miss; but not near so much as we used to do, before master had the roof so nicely mended; the wet never gets in now.'

'And so little Emily is sewing there; she will be able to help mother by and by; but she looks thin, poor child.'

She is, miss, quite fallen away; indeed, I never expected that she would get through her illness; but that medicine helped her so wonderfully.

That is your week's batch of bread, I suppose. How very dear provisions are, now!'

'Really, miss, they are; what a blessing it is to have regular work and wages to maintain one's family!'

This is a pretty fair specimen of the manner in which the gardener and his wife regard what is around them. One looks out for the bright, the pleasant, the agreeable: considers what there is to be thankful for, what there is to like. The other—ah! what does he do? Does he see everything through dark spectacles?

N.

Croyden, England