"Well, I don't know," replied Mrs. De Witt. "When the first gardener planted his garden, he did not think so; for you know the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and set in it not only every tree that was good for food, but every tree that was pleasant to the sight. I don't think he would be likely to throw away any work. Do you?"
Agnes found herself at a loss for an answer, and put on an air of dignity. "I don't think it right to use the Bible in speaking about a little common thing like that."
"I have noticed that people generally say that when the quotation happens to go against them," said Mrs. De Witt. "Common folks have common things happen to them, mostly; and if they can't go to the Bible for directions about them, they might almost as well not have any. Now, for my part, I think it is one of the greatest beauties of the Bible that it does suit all sorts of every-day matters, and tells about them too. I dare say if you and I had been to write the history of Abraham, we should have left out how he ran and picked out a calf and got hot cakes and butter for his visitors. I've often wondered what those cakes were like."
"And you know Solomon was a great botanist," said Letty, who had returned in time to hear the end of the conversation. "And no one can read Isaiah without seeing that he was fond of flowers."
"Oh, well, I give in," said Agnes, with a sigh. "I am wrong, of course. I always am. I hear that twenty times a day: so I ought to know it by this time. Letty, if you can spare time from more important matters, I wish you would come and see me now and then. I don't pretend to be very good company, of course; but—"
"Nonsense!" said Letty. "Don't be silly! Of course I shall come,—and do come, whenever I can. You don't want me to live in the road between here and your house, do you? I will come over this afternoon and see how the gingerbread turns out."
The days went on to weeks, and the spring passed into summer, and still Letty's garden grew and flourished, and waxed gay with flowers and green with spreading cucumber-vines and rows of goodly pea and tomato plants and stately ranks of sweet corn. The little territory was a wonder of productiveness; and many an hour of cool morning and evening did she and John spend hoeing and weeding there.
Agnes declared that Letty would never have the heart to eat one of those onions, after the labour she had bestowed upon them.
In all these horticultural pursuits John found a most kind and efficient advisor in his next door neighbour. Mr. De Witt had been bred to the business of a gardener, as I have said, and so had his father and grandfather, and their ancestors before them, as far back as any one knew any thing about the family. It seemed rather a pity that he had no son to keep up the line; but Gatty was at present the only child. She was now ten years old,—a pretty, quiet child, who carried in her chubby face a curious reflection of her father's gravity.
Mr. De Witt and John soon fell into a warm friendship. Mr. De Witt was exceedingly intelligent and well informed, especially upon the subject of European politics, both English and Continental. He had also picked up a good deal of theology and metaphysics; and endless were the discussions he and John held while smoking their pipes, sitting under the large apple tree in Mr. De Witt's garden, or on Letty's back steps.