DEAN'S 
 
 THE YOUNG GARDENER; 
 
 AND GOOD AND BAD MARKS, 
 
 LONDON: DEAN & SON, 
 11, Ludgate Hill. ] 
 
 <=? 
 
 
 > 
 
 
THE YOUNG GARDENER. 
 
 " Oh, what little seeds 1" said Edward, 
 as he took a handful out of his basket 
 and scattered them on the ground ; " they 
 i.^k almost as fine as dust ! can it be that 
 plants grow up from such little things as 
 vhese P 
 
THE YOUNG GARDENER. 3 
 
 " Of course they do," said Master 
 Edward, as he came along with a wheel- 
 barrow lull of rich soft loam ; " my flower 
 bed is full of them ; and when I have 
 covered th&m up with this dirt, they will 
 begin to sprout, and at last grow up nearly 
 as big as my head." 
 
 " Yes, Neddie," said little David, " you 
 give them something to eat out of your 
 wheelbarrow, and I will give them some- 
 thing to drink out of my water-pot, and 
 they will grow up just as we do.' 1 
 
 " Do you know, children," said the old 
 gardener, who was transplanting some 
 choice slips near by, '' that you are sowing 
 just such little seeds all the time, and that 
 they will grow up to be great plants after 
 a while V' 
 
 " Whv, no !" said the children. 
 
 " But you are," he responded; "you 
 are sowing flower seeds, weed seeds, tree 
 seeds, and shrub seeds all the time. 
 
 " Your garden is the world. When 
 your companions and playmates come to 
 vou for assistance and instruction about 
 their plays or studies, and you at once do 
 
4 THE YOUNG GARDENER. 
 
 all you can to make them happy, you are 
 planting the little seeds of kindness and 
 love. When you do any unintentional 
 mischief at home or at school, and frankly 
 
 eonfess it, without any wicked attempt at 
 concealment, you are planting the precious 
 seeds of truth. 
 
 " When you bring your piece of money 
 to a contribution- box, or give part of your 
 food and clothing to some half-starved and 
 
THE YOUNG GARDENER. 5 
 
 suffering child, you are planting the seeds 
 of generosity and mercy. 
 
 " When you kneel down at night or 
 rise up in the morning to say your 
 prayers to our Father in Heaven, you are 
 planting the holy seeds of piety. 
 
 " And these seeds will all grow up into 
 the most beautiful flowers and delicious 
 Iruits in after life. 
 
 " If you take good and constant care of 
 them, they will become like strong and 
 thriving trees, which will shelter and 
 support you well." 
 
 " But what are the weeds ?" said Bessie. 
 
 "Ah ! when you are impatient, when 
 you are out of temper, and speak un- 
 kindly to your companions, when you obey 
 your parents with pouting lips and an un- 
 willing mind, when you neglect your Sab- 
 bath-school lesson, when you deceive vour 
 teachers, and indulge in pride, anger, and 
 selfishness, when you say or do anything 
 wrong — then you are planting the seeds* 
 of noxious weeds, Bessie, and a sad effect 
 do they have upon our after lives.' 
 
 "Then we will never plant any/ 1 said 
 Bessie and her brother David, 
 
GOOD AND BAD MARKS. 
 
 Once there was a little boy, who had a 
 father that loved him dearly, and wished, 
 as all good parents do, to have his much- 
 loved son a good child. So, one day, he 
 told him that he would drive a nail into a 
 post whenever he should do an act that 
 was wrong, and when he should do a good 
 deed, he would pull one out. Now, I 
 
GOOD AND BAD MARKS. « 
 
 think that this little boy tried to be good, 
 for, though there were quite a number of 
 nails driven into the post, after a while all 
 had been drawn out. Not one remained. 
 
 Don't you think " Bennie " must have 
 been a happy little fellow the day that the 
 last nail disappeared from the post? His 
 father was very much pleased, and was 
 congratulating his little son upon the fact 
 that the nails were all gone ; but he was 
 much surprised to see that " Bennie" was 
 weeping, instead of being elated. " Yes," 
 said the dear child, " the nails are all gone, 
 that is true, but the marks are there still." 
 
 Oh ! my dear children, did you ever 
 think that all your bad deeds will leave 
 marks ? Yes, marks upon your sovL and 
 perhaps upon the souls of others. Think 
 of this whenever you are tempted to do a 
 wrong act. Say to yourself, " I shall 
 make a mark that I shall not love to look 
 at — a mark that cannot be taken out. 
 How you will wish that you could have 
 none but good deeds to look upon. Bright 
 and beautiful would the tablet then appear, 
 instead of being stained and marred by 
 dark spots and scars. 
 
8 
 
 GOOD AND BAD MARKS. 
 
 Then, my dear children, strive to make 
 a mark every day of your lives, but let 
 that mark be a good one — one that you 
 will love to see in days to come — one that 
 will bring smiles, and not tears, whenever 
 you think upon it — one that will leave a 
 bright spot upon your heart and the hearts 
 of others, and not a wound that will keep 
 festering and aching within your heart, 
 or sear your conscience. Now is your 
 seed-time. Lay not up for yourself that 
 which will cost bitter remorse ; but gather 
 a store of sweet memories that shall re- 
 fresh you in age — that shall cheer you 
 upon a sick or dying bid, and even be 
 remembered with joy in heaven. 
 
 315168$