San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-28


Very morning; 'uue stunted and Incompetent
sible trailing plant had added at least five
inches to its stature.
whats come over it, do you supposem
asked in some trepidation, for the idea of that
vine growing seemed positively uncanny.
II think" said my wife wisely, putting her
head to one side, ''that the effect of Barker's
is cumulative, like opium The vine suddenly
feels the combined force of all that have put |
on, and l don't mind telling you now that
there is something to show for it; that l have
used pounds" And think she had, if it was
Barker's that prompted the growth Of that
vine, for anything like its progress never
saw.
Within week il had cleared the basement
window and was ON level with the parlorl
SILL and at the end of little over a fortnight
it was nodding a tendril of pale green at the
second floor. 1t grew close with the wire,
twisting around it as if to twist itself fur
Their up. The passers by noticed and COM
mented upon it. My wife fairly basked and
beamed in its wonderful growth. My own
feelings also underwent a change. began
to refer to 1t as the vine, then as our vine,
and at the store did not hesitate to say
boldly, II have a vine over at my house."
etc. The vine itself attended strictly to bust
ness. When it reached the roof, as it did be-
fore month was out, it grew wild for a day
or so, sending out a long, swaying shoot;
then it caught on to the shutter of the third
floor window and began a meandering course
back to earth. All the way down it swung
out its tentacles, finding a hold on anything
"a shutter hook, window ledge, or even
slight roughness in the stone. By the mid
die of August the house was beautifully fes-
TONED, and still the original stalk was grow
ing toward all points of the compass.
Every man on the block envied me that
vine. felt that as a family and as house
front we were an ornament to the neighbor-
hood
| always take fortnight OFF the latter part
of September. l did as usual that year. My
wife and children followed me out on the
doorstep and arranged themselves in a pic
turesque group as | walked Of gripsack in
hand. | turned back two doors away and
saw them thus framed in the rich green of
the luxurious vine. l felt proud of the en-
tire landscape-animala and vegetable. Good
by" | said; take care of yourselves" andl
then, CHANGING at the clambering foliage, i
warmed to that. |
I'VE must have that trimmed down thisl
fall and packed in straw" called, noddingI
toward tie vine. There was a wagon pass
ing at the moment, and | put down to the
noise of that the apparently garbled reply of
my wife.
Il think so, too-a perfect nuisance" |
Ny return was accomplished at night. The
air was mild, though October, and after an
hour or two of welcoming gossip Mrs John
and l 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"
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 a straw"
groaned aloud.
"Yes, and replied that thought so too.
1t had become perfect nuisance; it was q
breeding place for mosquitoes and spiders
that got in the rooms, and those dirty and
detestable 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 1910 one vine, free grower 20
May l2-To one wire for same...........S1 50
May l2-To two hours work ................. 90
Sept. IS-To one days work cutting down
vine. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 90
Sept lS-To removing vine in carloads. I 90
Total. ........................ ....-........ss
And besides this paid a man S. 70 TO