“It costs a great deal of trouble and expense to keep it up as it ought to be kept,” continued Mrs Grove. “I sometimes think it is not right to spend so much time and money for what is a mere gratification to the eye.”
Mrs Grove was bent on being agreeable, to all present, and she thought “the economical dodge” was as good as any, considering her audience.
“There is something in that,” said Mr Snow, meditatively; “but a place like this ought to be a great deal more than that, I think.”
“Oh! I expect it pays,” said Mr Green. “To people who are fond of such things, I expect there is more pleasure to be got for the same money from a garden than from ’most any other thing.”
“To say nothing of the pleasure given to other folk—to one’s friends,” suggested Mrs Snow.
“I was calculating that, too,” said Mr Green. “The pleasure one’s friends get tells on one’s own comfort; you feel better yourself, if the folks about you feel well, especially if you have the doing of it. That pays.”
“If we are travelling in the right road, the more we see of the beautiful things God has made, the better and the happier we will be,” said Mr Snow. “It will pay in that way, I guess.”
He turned an inquiring look on Mr Green, as he spoke, but that gentleman, probably not being prepared to speak advisedly on the subject, neither agreed nor dissented, and his eyes travelled on till they rested on the face of his wife.
“Yes,” said, she, softly, “the more we see of God’s love and wisdom in the beautiful things He has made, the more we shall love Him, and in loving Him we shall grow like Him.”
Mr Snow nodded. Mr Green looked curiously from one to the other as they spoke.