e bestowed as a favour,--as in
the spending of the half-crown, which his own toil had procured;
thirdly, that even for a good object we must not use bad or doubtful
means,--as in the matter of the gravel; and fourthly, that hard
work--digging, or what not--from a right motive, becomes a much greater
pleasure than any that can be procured by idleness. And he had found
true, too, what his mother had said, that if he would pursue _one_ thing
steadily, and make himself do it in spite of disinclination, the
determination and energy thus acquired would help him in everything
else.

Midsummer came, and by that time the desert was a desert no longer: it
was a neat, trim-looking piece of ground with smooth walks, some small
but promising crops, and a flower-border gay with geraniums,
nasturtiums, sweet-peas, nemophila, and convolvulus. The mother was
rapidly regaining strength, and had been down-stairs several times, but
only into the drawing-room, which did not look towards the desert: from
the school-room and dining-room, which had a full view of it, she had
been jealously excluded. It is to be feared that this precaution had
caused her a little anxiety, and that she had a secret vision of broken
slates, torn pinafores, and blotted lesson-books, which she imagined
were being concealed from her in these forbidden chambers till she was
supposed to be strong enough to bear the sight of such calamities. But
the day was now come when her fears were to be dispersed, and a far
different and much pleasanter surprise was to dawn upon her.

She was to take her first walk, leaning on her husband's arm; and he had
been privately instructed by his sons to bring her in the direction of
the quondam desert. They had erected a triumphal arch over the little
entrance-gate, formed of bent osiers twined with flowers, and surmounted
with paper flags, on which were inscribed, in large coloured letters,
such mottoes as the Scotch 'Ye're gey welcome,' and the Irish 'Cead mile
failte.' Archie and Georgie, gaily bedizened, and with wands in their
hands, were stationed at each side of the gate to welcome her, and were
to marshal her up the centre walk, at the top of which her other sons
were to receive her, and conduct her to a seat which had been prepared
for her to rest upon. Such was the programme; but how could English boys
adhere to anything so formal? Directly Archie announced that 'mamma was
coming' Georgie pushed the gate open, and toddled to m