Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-09-28


vinA
did ron sesf. she assed, expecsantly.
did see Since had looked at the thing,
and WIS sure / had glanced that way that
very morning. the ssuured and incumprehsn-
sibls trailing plant bad added Vt Isast Eve
inches to its stature
whats come over 1t, do you supposer
asked in some trepidation. for the idea Of that
vine growing seemed positively uncannv.
Il think said my wife wisely, putting her
hea1 to one side, that the effect Of Barker's
is cumulative, like opium the vine suddenly
feels the combined force of all tn. ! have put
on, and | don't mind telling you now that
there is something to show for it; that have
used pounds And think she had, II il was
Barker's that prompted he growth Of that
vine, for anything Like its progress l never
saw.
Within O week il had cleared the basement
window and was on a level with the parlor
nil, and at the end of little over a fortnight
it was nodding tendril Of pale green at the
second floor 1t grew close with the wire,
twisting around it as II to twist itself fur
Their up The passers by noticed and com
nlented upon it, My wife fairly basked and
beamed in its wonderful growth Ny own
feelings also underwent oh nGe | began
to refer to it as the vine, then as our vine,
and at the store did not hesitate to say
boldly, a have vine over al my house.
etc. The vine itself attended strictly 10 bust
ness. When it reached the roof, as it did be-
fore month was out, it grew wild for day
or 50, sending out a long. swayIng shoot;
then it caught on TO the shutter of the third
floor window and began a neandering course
back 10 earth All tue way down it swung
out its tentacies finding a hold on anything
"a shutter hook, window ledge, or even a
slight roushness in the stone. By the mid
die OF August the house was beautifully fes-
TONED. and still the orig nal stalk was grow
ing toward all pointsof the compass.
Every man on the block envied me that
vine. felt that family and as house
front we were an ornament to the neighbor-
hool
always take fortnight of the latter part
Of September. did as usual that year My
wife and children followed me out on the
doorstep and arranged themselves liz a pic
turesque group as | walked Off gripsack in
hand. turned back two doors away and
saw them thus framed in the rich green Of
the luxurious vine. | felt proud of the en-
tire lardscape-animal and vegetable. Good
by,n | said; take care OF yourselves" and
then, glancing at the clambering foliage,
warmed TO that.
ave must have that trimmed down this
fall and packed in straw" called, holding
toward the vine There was a wagon pass
ing at the moment, and l put down to the
noise Of that the apparently garbled reply Of
my wife.
81 think so. too-a perfect nuisance"
My return was accomplished at night. Tho
a
hour or two Of welcoming gossip Mrs John
and | sought the doorstep while | finished
my last cigar.
''Oh, John, l did as you suggested-had
the vine cut down while you were away,"re-
marked my wife casually
You mean trimmed down for winter,"l
suggested.
"Why, no. had the whole thing removed
root, branch and wire. You spoke Just as
you were leaving that it ought to be cut
down; it wasn't worth straw"
groaned aloud.
"Yes, and replied that thought SO too
1t had become perfect nuisance; it was a
breeding place for mosquitoes and spiders
that got in the rooms, and those dirty and
d testable sparrows simply pre-empted it,
making more noise and mischief than was
tolerable was glad to hear you order its
removal
My feelings literally choked my utterance
The next morning among some bills awaiting
my return found this:
John Blank.
To A. Terracegarden. florist
May I2-To one vine. free grower. ...... Is
May l:-To one wire for same. -.............S1 80
May Ito two hours work .............. 90
Sept 1910 one days work cutting down
vine. ........-.......--...-. $50. 800
Sept ls--To removing vine in carloads w co
And besides this paid a man S. IS for
washing down the house. York Times