Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-23
THE REPTILE GERANIUM.
A Shiny Horror OF the Vegetable World
Hideous, Repr i've, Yet Strangely

LIS, tnat Is what call 1t, SAID the
doctor.
stopped down to examine the flower.
hideous, repulsive, and yet strangely
attractive, the snake eeranium seemed
to hold me under spell.
To describe this flower one would
have to paint life and motion. Mere
color is not enough. As | looked the
evil thing giared at me with sinister
intelligence. There was nothing re-
markable about the stalk and the leaves
OF the plant. The blossom was what
riyeted my gaze. Black, slnuous, and
Shiny, it looked more like snake than
anything else. 1 changed my point
OF view the thing changed its aspect.
Its scsles were purplish black, then
a dirtS brown. Two little CLASSY beads
in the monsters head glittered with
prismatic hues and looked straight into
my eyes. Was / mistaken I could
have sworn that this awesome thing
turned and twisted with the uncanny
freakishness Of reptile.
You know something of botanvp"
said the doctor, "how do you classify
1T is not to be ella sified,n answer.
ed. at is monstrosity. There is
nothing like it. Is it poison us?'
Il think So" was the reply; 1.-THE old
African who found it called 1t 'pizen
plant but renamed it"
have seen nearly everything worth
seeing in the floral world, but this
singular plant blooming unnoticed in
an obscure corner of country doctors
garden amazed me beyond expression.
From the first the sickening odor Of
the flower had been terribly oppressive.
In fact, 1t had prevented close exami-
nation. Suddenly my brain seemed to
be numbed, cold chill seized me, and,
with face of deadly pallor, reeled
and would have fallen to the ground
but for the doctors strong arm.
was half sick, or rather in a dazed,
half stupefied state. for days after my
return to town. One evening a negro
called at my house with note from
my friend the doctor, and covered
basket The messenger was gone before
could read the note. Iglanced at the
paper and then opened the basket. |
did not know whether to laugh or be
angry. Comfortably fixed in big jar,
the snake geranium gave flirty twist
and snapped its wicked eyes in my
face!
To have this floral horror in my
house was out of the question, and vet
was proud of the monster. l made a
servant carry it to sunny nook in the
back yard. She returned with chatter
ing teeth.
''De Lawd hab mussyp'she exclaimed,
dat ting's alive. Hill bite, sho's yer
bawnm
Sometimes carried my friends TO see
my pet | invariably had the satisfac-
ZION of hearing them swear, and gener-
ally had to send them home in a car
riage. One Whit of the snake geranium
was enough to make a totter-wreck of
the strongest man.
A little girl living next door took a
wonderful fancy to the flower. FIRE.
quently she came over when / was alb
sent and spent an hour at time fondl-
ing the plant and looking at it. OF all
the persons who saw it she was the only
one not affected by its peculiar odor.
Sometimes fell into deep study over
the mutual attachment existing between
my monster and the girl ! call it
mutual, because it was impossible to
view my snake geranium without giving
1t credit for life and intelligence. The
girl was queer little creature, with
midnight hair and velvety eyes. she
mad certain impish beauty that made
me shudder. Between the girl and the
geranium came near being deyiled to
Heath.
AS the weeks passed on the girl con-
linued her visits. She grew thinner
and paler, and her eyes grew larger and
blacker. More than once / overheard
The servants whispering that the snake
geranium was killing the child. This
alarmed me, and one day told my
young neighbor that the plant was
poisonous. and that she must not go
near it. She rather shrank from me,
and with sorrowful look. sped home
ward without saying a word.
l came home Unexpectedly one day,
and found the girl paying surrepti-
tious visit to the flower. l went to her
full of wrath, but was disarmed by what
| saw. The poor thing had tainted.
and wriggling and squirming over the
side of the jar, within few inches Of
the child's face, was that diabolical
geranium!
took my visitor home and told her
mother all about it. We spoke in some
severity to the little offender, but we
thought it was for her good. never
once thought of destroying my monster
No words can express the horror /
felt the next morning when l heard
that my girl neighbor was dead. She
had been found lifeless and cold in
bed at an early hour. Her appearance,
was told, was that of person who
had been poisoned. On the pillow was
Shiny mark that resembled serpent's
trail.
When / heard this l rushed frantic
ally out to the corner containing my
gersnium. One of the servants OWNED
my purpose and followed me. In the
jar we saw the stalk of the plant with a
few leaves attached to it, but the hor-
rible blossom. where was it?
The snake geranium was gone. ]
could not utter word. | had no
inquiries to make, and / wanted to
hear no explanations l ran back to
the house, but l heard the old negro
cry out:
Hits gone! Hit done crawled ober
into de mex yard. see hits tracksr'-
atlanta Constitution.