THE remainder of that week, outside of the time consumed in carrying out the régime Jamie had laid down for himself, he spent in the garden and with the books. With the trees and flowers he had a sure hand. He had learned how to make flowers thrifty and healthful in the meagre climate of New England. With water to lavish, with almost uninterrupted sunshine, with warm days and cool nights very frequently foggy, Jamie found himself facing a reversion of all he knew about gardening. He very speedily learned that in a land so lavish with sunshine and water, his task was going to be, not to stimulate flowers to growth, but to cutback the growth in order to draw the strength of the plant more directly toward the production of flowers. Much garden lore he accumulated from Margaret Cameron—practical things that she had learned through experience: how to loosen soil; how to fertilize; how to water discreetly and to the purpose. Jamie already knew how to cut back effectively. What to do to secure flowers instead of leaves he soon learned.

All that week he was looking forward to Saturday, planning for the day on which he and the little Scout should ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/253 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/254 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/255 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/256 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/257 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/258 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/259 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/260 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/261 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/262 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/263 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/264 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/265 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/266 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/267 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/268 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/269 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/270 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/271 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/272 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/273 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/274 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/275 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/276 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/277 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/278 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/279 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/280 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/281 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/282 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/283 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/284 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/285 ​Page:The Keeper of the Bees.pdf/286 ​thinking I could see it on your hands and in your face, and at that we haven’t been trying so much for flesh building as we have for blood purification. If we can get the blood stream clean, ’most any time we can begin flesh-building. Jamie boy, I’d say you are going to make it. I’d say, if you hold steady and keep it up six months, you can close that ugly spot. It’s going to leave a nasty scar, but scars are the aftermath of any war. If your blood will purify, if you can get in working order, there is nothing to stop you from being the man God meant you to be when you were born.”

Then Jamie took Margaret Cameron tight in his arms and kissed her over and over again on the top of her head. Then he released her and looked after her wonderingly, because she was going from the back door, her shoulders shaken with sobs deeper and longer than the most motherly of women need shed over the joy of a step in the right direction for even a highly considered neighbour.

Slowly Jamie turned from the back door. Slowly he went back to the bed upon which he had lain. Slowly he got down on his knees and clasped his shaking hands and laid his forehead on them, and then, reverently, deeply, from the bottom of his heart, he thanked the Lord.

Then he headed straight for the ice box and drank a pint of tomato juice.