Bertie and the Gardeners; or, The Way to be Happy — Context and Discussion

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In Category - Childrens Adventures

Authors: Leslie, Madeline, 1815-1893 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2008 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Siblings -- Juvenile fiction; Fathers and sons -- Juvenile fiction; Country life -- Juvenile fiction Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 15,458

Reading time 68 min

Text sections 3

This digital edition of Bertie and the Gardeners; or, The Way to be Happy — Context and Discussion is described by source-level measurements including 15,458 words, 1 hr 8 min estimated reading time, and 3 detected text sections.

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #26497

This editorial note examines Madeline Leslie's diction and descriptive choices in Bertie and the Gardeners, focusing on how the author uses precise landscape details, moral dialogue, and domestic rituals to shape a didactic yet vivid children's story.

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File: pg26497

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CHAPTER I. THE NEW FARMER, 11

CHAPTER II. THE SICK WORKMAN, 21

CHAPTER III. THE MERRY GARDENER, 30

CHAPTER IV. VISITORS TO WOODLAWN, 40

CHAPTER V. THE SORROWING FATHER, 51

CHAPTER VI. CLEARING THE CREEK, 64

CHAPTER VII. PAT'S VISIT HOME, 74

CHAPTER VIII. LETTER FROM PAT, 84

CHAPTER IX. BERTIE'S SPELLING MATCH, 97

CHAPTER X. BERTIE'S PRESENTS, 107

CHAPTER XI. THE HEART AND HAND, 118

CHAPTER XII. VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA, 127

CHAPTER XIII. BERTIE'S REWARD, 138

CHAPTER XIV. BERTIE AND THE NEWSBOY, 148

CHAPTER XV. THE LAST CHAPTER, 155

Bertie and the Gardeners.

The new house at Woodlawn was nearly completed; and Mr. Curtis now set to work in earnest, clearing the grounds of the rubbish, in order to make the terraces and lay out his avenue in front.

Those who have read the other books about Bertie, will know that two wide avenues, enclosed by handsome iron gates, had been already made; one winding along on the shores of Lake Shawsheen, the other entering from a higher point which led through a grove toward the house where the enchanting view of lawn and water burst at once on the vision.

But in the vicinity of the house, no grading had been done, on account of the vast amount of bricks, lime, mortar-bins, wood and chips lying scattered in every direction.

The house, elegant in proportion and finish, stood about a hundred rods in front of a high, grassy mound, upon the top of which a cluster of chestnut-trees cast a pleasant shade.

The rich, green turf on the lawn which sloped to the lake, was dotted with magnificent old trees undisturbed for a century. Back of the house, or rather beyond the barn, was another swell or mound, which like the first, was so regular in its form as almost to excite the belief that it was artificial. Indeed, from the fact that two tomahawks were found buried in the spot where the barn stood, Mr. Curtis inferred that it might have been used for the grand council of the Indian tribe, and that here they buried all hostilities.

"Certainly," Mrs. Curtis remarked, "this was a pleasant view to take of it," and as there was no one to dispute the fact, the larger mound was called "Peace Mountain."

Mr. Curtis, or the Squire, as the Oxford villagers called him, was now in his element. Every pleasant morning he might be seen, his wife leaning on his arm, walking over the premises, planning the improvements to be made, and often Bertie and Winifred accompanied them.

When the weather was not so clear, the gentleman and his son hurried from one part of the grounds to the other, directing Tom Grant, or measuring with a ten-foot pole.

There was a nice sunny plat containing sixteen acres back of Peace Mountain, which had been ploughed earlier in the season, to be in readiness next year for a garden and orchard. Besides this there were to be heart-shaped and diamond-shaped figures and circlets cut in the lawn, near the house, for flowers of every hue.

It was now October, and the most must be made of the fine weather. Ploughing and preparing the ground for agricultural purposes, was what the farmers in the neighborhood were accustomed to, and therefore help was easily to be obtained.

Through the summer, Mr. Curtis had borne in mind that he should need a skilful farmer to till his land, one who understood the science as well as the art of farming to the best advantage. He greatly approved Thomas Grant's industry, and the zeal he manifested in all that concerned his master's interests; but he feared the man was so attached to the old ways of managing land, that he would be unwilling to avail himself of the improved implements of agriculture, or the new-fangled notions, as he called mowing-machines, horse-rakes, sowing-machines, etc., etc.

But one noon, while his oxen were eating their dinner, Mr. Curtis found him sitting under the shade of a tree, examining with great interest the latest report of the State Agricultural Society.

Turning to a picture of a Devon cow, he exclaimed:

"Well, Squire, if Adam carried such cows as that with him when he went outside of Eden, I think he might have set up another paradise To my thinking, Squire, nothing can beat that cow."

Mr. Curtis threw himself on the grass, wishing to test Tom's ideas of farming; and after conversing half an hour, resolved to hire him for his farmer.

But still it was necessary for the gentleman to employ a gardener, one who loved flowers and had a taste for landscape gardening.

"I must advertise, Cecilia," he said one day to his wife; "I want exactly the right kind of a man for there is a great opportunity to improve and beautify the place."

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Madeline Leslie opens Bertie and the Gardeners with a meticulous description of the Woodlawn grounds: the house stands “about a hundred rods in front of a high, grassy mound,” and the lawn slopes toward a lake “dotted with magnificent old trees undisturbed for a century.” Such precise measurements and natural details establish a setting that feels both real and idealized. The author’s diction—words like “avenue,” “terrace,” and “grading”—reflects a practical interest in landscape improvement, while the mention of “two tomahawks” found buried hints at a layered history beneath the pastoral surface.

Landscape as Moral Stage

Leslie uses the physical layout of Woodlawn to mirror the moral order of the story. The house is positioned between a “high, grassy mound” with chestnut trees and a lake, creating a balanced, harmonious environment. The author’s choice of verbs—set to work, clearing, lay out—emphasizes human effort shaping nature, a theme that extends to the characters’ own moral cultivation. The “rich, green turf” and “magnificent old trees” suggest a world where beauty and utility coexist, reinforcing the book’s subtitle, “The Way to be Happy.”

Dialogue as Instruction

Conversations in the excerpts often carry an explicit moral or practical lesson. When Bertie asks for a satchel to carry his spelling book, his mother responds by fetching one, and the narrative notes that “the rule being that every one who pronounced the word must do so with the greatest distinctness.” The dialogue is direct and purposeful, with characters like Nancy using colloquial exclamations (“Law!”) that contrast with the more formal speech of Bertie’s parents. This variation in register suggests a household where different voices coexist, yet all serve the story’s didactic aim.

Domestic Rituals and Material Culture

Leslie pays close attention to objects and routines. Bertie’s Christmas stocking is “stuffed to its utmost capacity,” and he guesses at presents, recalling that his mother gave him a Bible the previous year. The author uses such moments to depict family affection and moral expectation. The satchel, the stocking, the spelling matches—each object or activity is tied to a lesson in gratitude, diligence, or generosity. The description of the house as “of a June temperature” while snow falls outside further emphasizes the controlled, nurturing environment the Curtis family maintains.

The Author’s Narrative Voice

Leslie’s narrator frequently addresses readers directly, assuming familiarity with earlier volumes (“Those who have read the other books about Bertie, will know…”). This technique creates a sense of continuity and shared knowledge. The prose is plain but not without rhythm: sentences like “The house, elegant in proportion and finish, stood about a hundred rods…” combine factual precision with a measured, almost architectural cadence. The narrator’s tone is consistently approving of the characters’ virtues, yet the specific details—such as the “two tomahawks” or the “June temperature”—prevent the moralizing from becoming abstract.

Readers attentive to Leslie’s word choices will notice how she balances instruction with concrete observation. The landscape, dialogue, and domestic objects are not mere backdrop but active elements in the story’s moral design. The author’s preference for specific measurements and named plants (chestnut, turf, lake) grounds the narrative in a recognizable world, even as the characters’ behavior models ideal Christian conduct. This combination of the particular and the exemplary gives the book its distinctive texture.

There’s something tender in how Madeline Leslie lingers over a garden’s small, ordinary moments—the way she trusted that happiness could be built from daily habits. It reminds me, faintly, of another kind of earnestness found in a completely different world, one of khaki and distant fields, where boys face everything with the same quiet resolve. The Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields — Text and Context holds that same old-fashioned sincerity, just under a heavier sky.