Bertie and the Gardeners

At Woodlawn, Mr. Curtis is turning the grounds around his nearly finished house into gardens, terraces and an orchard. Bertie and his sister Winnie share in the family life surrounding these improvements, while farmers and skilled workmen bring their own concerns to the estate. When Bertie finds the painter Mr. Dodge looking dangerously ill, he seeks his father's help. The child's attention to another person's distress gives this country story its practical lesson in kindness.

Madeline Leslie combines plans for gardens and scenes of building work with a children's tale about useful work, gratitude and good conduct. A later passage follows Patrick Riley's progress at school and his thanks to Bertie for encouraging him to become honest. Pat's letter also links poverty with the difficulty of resisting temptation. Readers interested in older children's fiction will find moral teaching expressed through conversations, family relationships and small acts of care.