iends with whom they lived had a large garden
attached to the house, but as the farmer and his wife had their time
too much taken up in the field to give much care to the garden, it was
of little or no use to them. James saw that it could be made a
profitable source of income by devoting it to the growing of flowers
and fruit, and when he proposed to put this plan into execution the
farmer's consent was willingly granted.

During the autumn time, James had made his preparations, and when the
warmth of spring had melted the winter snows, he began his work,
assisted by Mary; and together they laboured from morning to night. The
garden was divided into beds planted with all sorts of vegetables and
flowers, and bordered with gravel walks. The old man was anxious to see
the completion of his idea, and allowed neither himself nor his
daughter rest until he had stocked the garden with their favourite
flowers, rose trees, tulip and lily roots, and various kinds of
shrubbery.

Mary made a special study of cultivating some rare flowers, among which
were some which had never before been seen in this part of the country.
When the summer came, the garden showed such a burst of verdure and
blossom, that the valley, which was overshadowed by dark trees, now
assumed quite a smiling appearance. An orchard belonging to the farmer,
which had also been taken in hand by James, soon bore evidence to his
gardening skill in the shape of an abundant harvest of fruit. Indeed,
it seemed as if the blessing of God was upon everything that James
undertook.

Settled in a comfortable home, and occupied in his favourite calling,
the old gardener began to forget the troubles of the past, and to
regain the cheerful humour which had made his conversation such a
delight in the past. Once more he began to reflect upon the lessons
which the flowers taught, and day by day he taught to Mary some new
lesson which he had learned from them.

One day a woman from the neighbouring village came to buy some flax
from the farmer, and brought her little boy with her. While she was
occupied in bargaining for the flax, her little child, finding the
garden-gate open, had gone in and begun to plunder a full-blown rose
bush, with the result that he scratched himself terribly with the sharp
thorns. His mother and the farmer's wife, as well as James and his
daughter, hearing his screams of pain, ran to him. The child, with his
little hands all covered with blood, cried o