Mary Jane: Her Book | Page 9

dig it
all myself?"
"Pretty soon," said father. "I dig first with the big spade. Then you dig
with yours. Then I hoe it--I'll show you how when we're ready; and you
hoe with your hoe." And he set to work.
"Then do the things just grow?" asked Mary Jane as she watched him.
"Not till we plant them," answered her father. "What are you going to
have?"
"Worms for the robin so he won't have to work so hard," said Mary
Jane promptly, "and a lot of flowers."
"I guess you won't have to worry about the worms," laughed Mr.
Merrill as he turned over a big spadeful of earth, "Mr. Robin will find
plenty--see? I'll make a guess that he's watching us from the apple tree
this very minute! Suppose you run into the garage and look on the table

there. You'll find packages of seeds. Bring them out here and we'll see
which you want in your bed."
While Mr. Merrill gave the earth its heavy spading, Mary Jane got the
bright colored seed packages and spread them out on the sidewalk.
Then as she spelled out the letters, her father told her what each
package contained. Lettuce and radishes and nasturtiums and carrots
and candy-tuft and--
"Here's one that's me!" exclaimed Mary Jane suddenly. She knew a
very few words and her own name was one of them.
"I thought you would find that," said Mr. Merrill, "so I bought that on
purpose for you. It's Marygold and you may have it in your bed, if you
like."
By that time the earth in her garden was turned and Mary Jane set to
work spading and hoeing just as hard as ever she could. She worked on
one side and her father worked on the other and very soon the earth was
ready for planting.
"Now," said Mr. Merrill, "while I loosen the earth around mother's rose
bushes, you make your trenches for the seeds." And he showed her just
how it was to be done.
[Illustration: "Here's one that's me!" exclaimed Mary Jane suddenly.]
Mary Jane never felt so big, and grown-up and important in her life as
when she made those trenches with her bright new hoe. She worked
and worked till they were neat and even and exactly right. Then her
father stopped his digging and together they opened three packages and
planted the seeds. The nasturtiums went in front, because they were the
smallest plants, father said; then the Marygolds that grow so straight
and tall; and then, because father said every garden should have
something useful as well as something beautiful, back of the Marygolds,
a row of early lettuce.
Just as the last bit of earth was patted down over the last row of seeds,
Mrs. Merrill called from the back door that dinner was about ready.
"And we're hungry enough to eat it, aren't we, Mary Jane?" asked Mr.
Merrill. "You put away your tools and run in and wash while I tend to
my big ones and get myself ready. Let's see who's the quickest!"
How Mary Jane did hustle! She set her new tools in the far corner of
the garage and then ran skipping into the house.
"Scrub your hands good, dear," said her mother as she hurried through

the kitchen. "Wash your face and then run upstairs and get your blue
smock and plaid ribbon. Dark blue dresses are the thing for gardening,
but we like gay frocks for dinner, don't we, sweetheart?"
And yet, with all that washing and dressing, Mary Jane reached the
table first--that just shows how fast she could hurry when she was
racing with father. Or maybe it was because she was so hungry. For she
had three big helpings of her favorite mashed potatoes--think of that!
"First thing in the morning, know what I'm going to do?" she
announced as she ate the last bite, "I'm going to get Doris to see my
garden, she'll like my flowers, I know."
"You can get Doris," laughed her father, "but don't expect flowers in
the morning. It will take them ten days to peep out of the ground. But
don't you worry, you'll like to show Doris the garden before it grows."
"I will," replied Mary Jane, "I'll do it tomorrow."

MARY JANE PLAYS SCHOOL
"Mother, may I go over and get Doris this morning?" asked Mary Jane
as she finished her breakfast. "I want her to come see my garden right
away!"
"Not to-day," answered Mrs. Merrill. "Doris has the chicken pox so you
will have to stay home for a while," And then she was called to the
telephone so she didn't notice that Mary Jane ran straight for the
window that looked out over Doris's yard.
"I think that's