the friendly road-第9章

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y　the　garden　itself；　but　all　the　lore　and　poetry　of　gardening！

We　had　been　talking　thus　an　hour　or　more　when；　quite　unexpectedly；　I　had　what　was　certainly　one　of　the　most　amusing　adventures　of　my　whole　life。　I　can　scarcely　think　of　it　now　without　a　thrill　of　pleasure。　I　have　had　pay　for　my　work　in　many　but　never　such　a　reward　as　this。

〃By　the　way；〃　said　Mr。　Vedder；　〃I　have　recently　come　across　a　book　which　is　full　of　the　spirit　of　the　garden　as　we　have　long　known　it；　although　the　author　is　not　treating　directly　of　gardens；　but　of　farming　and　of　human　nature。〃

〃It　is　really　all　one　subject；〃　I　interrupted。

〃Certainly；〃　said　Mr。　Vedder；　〃but　many　gardeners　are　nothing　but　gardeners。　Well；　the　book　to　which　I　refer　is　called　'Adventures　in　Contentment；'　and　is　byWhy；　a　man　of　your　own　name！〃

With　that　Mr。　Vedder　reached　for　a　booka　familiar…looking　bookon　the　table；　but　Mrs。　Vedder　looked　at　me。　I　give　you　my　word；　my　heart　turned　entirely　over；　and　in　a　most　remarkable　way　righted　itself　again；　and　I　saw　Roman　candles　and　Fourth　of　July　rockets　in　front　of　my　eyes。　Never　in　all　my　experience　was　I　so　completely　bowled　over。　I　felt　like　a　small　boy　who　has　been　caught　in　the　pantry　with　one　hand　in　the　jam…potand　plenty　of　jam　on　his　nose。　And　like　that　small　boy　I　enjoyed　the　jam；　but　did　not　like　being　caught　at　it。

Mr。　Vedder　had　no　sooner　got　the　book　in　his　hand　than　I　saw　Mrs。　Vedder　rising　as　though　she　had　seen　a　spectre；　and　pointing　dramatically　at　me；　she　exclaimed：

〃You　are　David　Grayson！〃

I　can　say　truthfully　now　that　I　know　how　the　prisoner　at　the　bar　must　feel　when　the　judge；　leaning　over　his　desk；　looks　at　him　sternly　and　says：

〃I　declare　you　guilty　of　the　offence　as　charged；　and　sentence　you〃　and　so　on；　and　so　on。

Mr。　Vedder　stiffened　up；　and　I　can　see　him　yet　looking　at　me　through　his　glasses。　I　must　have　looked　as　foolishly　guilty　as　any　man　ever　looked；　for　Mr。　Vedder　said　promptly：

〃Let　me　take　you　by　the　hand；　sir。　We　know　you；　and　have　known　you　for　a　long　time。〃

I　shall　not　attempt　to　relate　the　conversation　which　followed；　nor　tell　of　the　keen　joy　I　had　in　itafter　the　first　cold　plunge。　We　found　that　we　had　a　thousand　common　interests　and　enthusiasms。　I　had　to　tell　them　of　my　farm；　and　why　I　had　left　it　temporarily；　and　of　the　experiences　on　the　road。　No　sooner　had　I　related　what　had　befallen　me　at　the　Stanleys'　than　Mrs。　Vedder　disappeared　into　the　house　and　came　out　again　presently　with　a　tray　loaded　with　cold　meat；　bread；　a　pitcher　of　fine　milk；　and　other　good　things。

〃I　shall　not　offer　any　excuses；〃　said　I；　〃I'm　hungry；〃　and　with　that　I　laid　in；　Mr。　Vedder　helping　with　the　milk；　and　all　three　of　us　talking　as　fast　as　ever　we　could。

It　was　nearly　midnight　when　at　last　Mr。　Vedder　led　the　way　to　the　immaculate　little　bedroom　where　I　spent　the　night。

The　next　morning　I　awoke　early；　and　quietly　dressing；　slipped　down　to　the　garden　and　walked　about　among　the　trees　and　the　shrubs　and　the　flower…beds。　The　sun　was　just　coming　up　over　the　hill；　the　air　was　full　of　the　fresh　odours　of　morning；　and　the　orioles　and　cat…birds　were　singing。

In　the　back　of　the　garden　I　found　a　charming　rustic　arbour　with　seats　around　a　little　table。　And　here　I　sat　down　to　listen　to　the　morning　concert；　and　I　saw；　cut　or　carved　upon　the　table；　this　verse；　which　so　pleased　me　that　I　copied　it　in　my　book：

A　garden　is　a　lovesome　thing；　God　wot！　Rose　plot；　Fringed　pool；　Ferned　grot　The　veriest　school　of　peace；　and　yet　the　fool　Contends　that　God　is　not　Not　God！　in　gardens？　when　the　even　is　cool？　Nay；　but　I　have　a　sign；　'Tis　very　sure　God　walks　in　mine。

I　looked　about　after　copying　this　verse；　and　said　aloud：

〃I　like　this　garden：　I　like　these　Vedders。〃

And　with　that　I　had　a　moment　of　wild　enthusiasm。

〃I　will　come；〃　I　said；　〃and　buy　a　little　garden　next　them；　and　bring　Harriet；　and　we　will　live　here　always。　What's　a　farm　compared　with　a　friend？〃

But　with　that　I　thought　of　the　Scotch　preacher；　and　of　Horace；　and　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Starkweather；　and　I　knew　I　could　never　leave　the　friends　at　home。

〃It's　astonishing　how　many　fine　people　there　are　in　this　world；〃　I　said　aloud；　〃one　can't　escape　them！〃

〃Good　morning；　David　Grayson；〃　I　heard　some　one　saying；　and　glancing　up　I　saw　Mrs。　Vedder　at　the　doorway。　〃Are　you　hungry？〃

〃I　am　always　hungry；〃　I　said。

Mr。　Vedder　came　out　and　linking　his　arm　in　mine　and　pointing　out　various　spireas　and　Japanese　barberries；　of　which　he　was　very　proud；　we　walked　into　the　house　together。

I　did　not　think　of　it　especially　at　timeHarriet　says　I　never　see　anything　really　worth　while；　by　which　she　means　dishes；　dresses；　doilies；　and　such　like　but　as　I　remembered　afterward　the　table　that　Mrs。　Vedder　set　was　wonderfully　daintydainty　not　merely　with　flowers　（with　which　it　was　loaded）；　but　with　the　quality　of　the　china　and　silver。　It　was　plainly　the　table　of　no　ordinary　gardener　or　caretakerbut　this　conclusion　did　not　come　to　me　until　afterward；　for　as　I　remember　it；　we　were　in　a　deep　discussion　of　fertilizers。

Mrs。　Vedder　cooked　and　served　breakfast　herself；　and　did　it　with　a　skill　almost　equal　to　Harriet'sso　skillfully　that　the　talk　went　on　and　we　never　once　heard　the　machinery　of　service。

After　breakfast　we　all　went　out　into　the　garden；　Mrs。　Vedder　in　an　old　straw　hat　and　a　big　apron；　and　Mr。　Vedder　in　a　pair　of　old　brown　overalls。　Two　men　had　appeared　from　somewhere；　and　were　digging　in　the　vegetable　garden。　After　giving　them　certain　directions　Mr。　Vedder　and　I　both　found　five…tined　forks　and　went　into　the　rose　garden　and　began　turning　over　the　rich　soil；　while　Mrs。　Vedder；　with　pruning…shears；　kept　near　us；　cutting　out　the　dead　wood。

It　was　one　of　the　charming　forenoons　of　my　life。　This　pleasant　work；　spiced　with　the　most　interesting　conversation　and　interrupted　by　a　hundred　little　excursions　into　other　parts　of　the　garden；　to　see　this　or　that　wonder　of　vegetation；　brought　us　to　dinner…time　before　we　fairly　knew　it。

About　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　I　made　the　next　discovery。　I　heard　first　the　choking　cough　of　a　big　motor…car　in　the　country　road；　and　a　moment　later　it　stopped　at　our　gate。　I　thought　I　saw　the　Vedders　exchanging　significant　glances。　A　number　of　merry　young　people　tumbled　out；　and　an　especially　pretty　girl　of　about　twenty　came　running　through　the　garden。

〃Mother；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃you　MUST　come　with　us！〃

〃I　can't；　I　can't；〃　said　Mrs。　Vedder；　〃the　roses　MUST　be　prunedand　see！　The　azaleas　are　coming　into　bloom。〃

With　that　she　presented　me　to　her　daughter。

And；　then；　shortly；　for　it　could　no　longer　be　concealed；　I　learned　that　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Vedder　were　not　the　caretakers　but　the　owners　of　the　estate　and　of　the　great　house　I　had　seen　on　the　hill。　That　evening；　with　an　air　almost　of　apology；　they　explained　to　me　how　it　all　came　about。

〃We　first　came　out　here；〃　said　Mrs。　Vedder；　〃nearly　twenty　years　ago；　and　built　the　big　house　on　the　hill。　But　the　more　we　came　to　know　of　country　life　the　more　we　wanted　to　get　down　into　it。　We　found　it　impossible　up　thereso　many　unnecessary　things　to　see　to　and　care　forand　we　couldn'twe　didn't　see〃

〃The　fact　is；〃　Mr。　Vedder　put　in；　〃we　were　losing　touch　with　each　other。〃

〃There　is　nothing　like　a　big　house；〃　said　Mrs。　Vedder；　〃to　separate　a　man　and　his　wife。〃

〃So　we　came　down　here；〃　said　Mr。　Vedder；　〃built　this　little　cottage；　and　developed　this　garden　mostly　with　our　own　hands。　We　would　have　sold　the　big　house　long　ago　if　it　hadn't　been　for　our　friends。　They　like　it。〃

〃I　have　never　heard　a　more　truly　romantic　story；〃　said　I。

And　it　WAS　romantic：　these　fine　people　escaping　from　too　many　possessions；　too　much　property；　to　the　peace　and　quietude　of　a　garden　where　they　could　be　lovers　again。

〃It　seems；　sometimes；〃　said　Mrs。　Vedder；　〃that　I　never　really　believed　in　God　until　we　came　down　here〃

〃I　saw　the　verse　on　the　table　in　the　arbour；〃　said　I。

〃And　it　is　true；〃　said　Mr。　Vedder。　〃We　got　a　long；　long　way　from　God　for　many　years：　here　we　seem　to　get　back　to　Him。〃

I　had　fully　intended　to　take　the　road　again　that　afternoon；　but　how　could　any　one　leave　such　people　as　those？　We　talked　again　late　that　night；　but　the　next　morning；　at　the　leisurely　Sunday　breakfast；　I　set　m