THE children were in the garden, pulling weeds and “cultivating.”
The little plants had come up quite a way through the soil.
With her hoe Mary Frances was drawing little mounds of earth quite high around the stems of the plants.
“Now, Mary Frances,” exclaimed Billy, “you’re doing just wrong! That is one of the garden ‘don’ts.’ Don’t pile the earth high over the stems.”
“Why, if you please, Mr. Billy?” asked Mary Frances.
“Because—” started Billy; then: “Oh, you must know, Mary Frances.”
“I suppose because the little rootlets need rain, and little hills would make the water run off,” guessed Mary Frances, “and I’ll do it right after this; but, really, Billy, I’m afraid I’ll never learn all my lessons as well as you know yours. It is a marvel to me how much you know. How you must have studied!”
“Humm!” said Billy, hoeing away. “I did study; but, somehow, I like gardening so much, it didn’t seem hard work.”