Daddy Takes Us Skating

d of the dishes, when supper had been finished, "I'll star

it, too?" asked Hal in deli

s of

r Hal and Mab, whether it was playi

father opened the package he had brought up

of a puzzle?" H

?" asked Mab, as she heard som

an play it?

is your mother, I think; and Uncle Pennywait, and Aunt Lollypop, and-no, I g

many can play," laughed Hal. "Hurr

y sides?" M

ver plays the game best. I'll tell you about it. Now here's the first part of the garden," and, as Mr. Blake

y looked very mu

"This isn't a new game at al

ing it to-day," went on M

it one if you like. It's ever so much more fun than just bean-bags, for there are many o

hings, in the big bag that had held the beans, and they thoug

children. But to those of you who read this book as the beginning of the Daddy Series I may say that the first volume is called "Daddy Tak

Hal and Mab lived with Daddy and Mother Blake in a nice house in

cle Pennywait was called that becau

and I'll give

she was always telling the children to buy lollypops with the money Uncle Pennywait gave them. Loll

hen Daddy Blake took Hal and Mab skating, as you may read in THAT

him, had gone coasting, and had hunted birds with a camera to take pictures of them. There is a book about each one of the dif

Daddy Blake had taken the children to the woods,

. Once Mab had a little cat that got lost up in a tree, and once her Dickey bird flew aw

so we can have fun, just with BEANS," said Hal, as he wa

ake. "See here are some radishes, lettuc

N!" cried Aunt Lollypop, coming

t we don't know how to

ch you," spoke her father. "W

Hal wante

t next door. I have hired that

rt to make a ga

I think you will like this game as well as any you have ever played, for not only will it be fun, but it will giv

prize for?

it is Hal, Mab, Uncle Pennywait, Aunt Lolly, Mother

rize going to

ught for a mome

on the prize you would li

it!" cried Mab wi

or maybe a sled, for I think his ol

" answe

ng different," spoke the children's father, "I think I'll make the prize a

great!" ex

ab. "Why I could buy a

end ALL that money for

hed Uncle Pennywait. "I'll give

aid Daddy Blake. "Here it is," and he took from his pocket a b

I may get my own prize, for I am going to work in the garden, too. We will each choos

ink of this game

y Blake. "You know we are at war, and in war time it is

" ask

housands of them-have been called away to fight the enemy, so that we, who never before helped to

one this year. All over vacant lots and play-fields, and even some beautiful green, grassy lawns, are being turned into gardens. They will tak

save it?" asked Hal

d, and fruits vegetables can only grow when the weather is warm. Nothing grows in the cold Win

g to make our ga

going to plan

art of any garden is getting the soil ready. That is the dirt, in which we pl

seeds grow

lant 'em anywhere?"

Blake

to answer about this garden game," said

s to make even one bean or radish grow from a seed. Then, when they find out that it is not easy to have good vegetables, when

he worms and bugs and weeds f

just like war all the while between the things

e. I don't mean that the little poodle dog's tail came off and that he raced around trying to get hold of it again. No indeed! His ta

l have to fight if you make a gard

" ask

nted garden, often dig up the seeds, just as chickens do

said Mab. "They've go

you must keep watch. Now suppose we start and pick out what crops we want to raise for the prize of the

ied Mab. "Then I can have a

soldiers," said Daddy Blake. "And much of the food raised on farms and gardens will have to go to feed

" Hal said. "I

to eat it is not good for making corn bread, and that is the kind we may hav

e raise whea

any other soil or dirt," explained Daddy Blake. "But to raise a lot of whea

s to a farm some

told him. "So you think you want to try corn; eh?" and h

ve succotash at any rate," said Mother Blake. "A

rom our garden," said Aunt Lolly. "I think I'l

-o-lanterns!" laughed

n. There is going to be hard work, too, if anyone wins this prize," and he held up the ten dollar gold piece. "You

o raise many pumpkins in the cornfield at home. So I'

to do it," said

easy to grow if I can keep the bugs

t them sliced in Summer and have them canned, ready to stew, in Winter, I'll have to plant some seeds in the house f

answered

nny rabbit!" cried Mab. "I

vegetables as we can, so we will have them in the Winter to save buying them at the store. We can't afford to raise carrots for

t," said Mab, as she looked at th

crops first. Now we have made a start on our garden. The next thing is to get the ground ready as soon a

?" ask

tle dirt and I'll let it dry out near the fire, f

had been spread out on a paper under the stove it soon dried. That night Daddy Blake filled a

t kind for what you are going to raise. Beans will grow in almost any kind of soil, but tomatoes and other vegetables must have soil which is calle

s eat?" a

y drink water that way, too, and through their leaves. And they breathe in the air and sunlight the sa

the tomato seeds right

this box, which, you children must see to it, must be kept in the sunny window, and not out in the cool air. When the plants are large enough we will take them from the box and p

hed her father carefully smooth the soil in the box and then scatter in t

nly Mother Nature knows that. But at least we have a start with our garden," said Daddy Blake,

what a wonderful thing it was to have a g

his time of night?" asked

Mab wond