Ralph Henry Barbour

“ Will these seeds make plants that will blossom this summer?”
“What are they?”
“Mignonette, sweet peas, nasturtiums, hollyhocks,—er—candy-tuft and—I forget the rest. I am very fond of flowers, although I've never tried to raise any, and this place looks so bare without them. So I bought these seeds in the village yesterday. The man, who sold them to me, assured me that they would grow, but”—he shook his head as he gazed at the scattered packets—“my imagination fails when I try to picture this expanse of soil clothed with leaves and flowers.” ”

“ Then I sent him with the basket to the House in the Hedge and told him to ask for Mr. Tully. When he returned the basket was empty and he bore a verbal message of thanks. Later on, that afternoon, he carried another basket over. In it were two glasses of Aunt Myra's best jelly and her card. Five minutes later Peter was back again with basket, jelly, and card.
“The gentleman said give you his thanks, ma'am, but the patient never eats jelly.”
Aunt Myra was plainly offended. “Never eats jelly, indeed!” she sniffed. “Well, if he ever does it won't be mine.” I smiled quietly. ”

“ We went over together, Fairfax trotting demurely along at the end of his leash. “About here, I would say. You mustn't get it too near the hedge or it will be too shaded in the morning. Make it about ten feet long, put the sweet peas at one end and the nasturtiums at the other. You'll have to have something for them to climb on, though.” ”