The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-07
spRANG ERON A LoyER,s BLOOD.
The Origin of the JncqueminOt, Marechn
Mel and Bon silone Roses.

The Origin of the JncqueminOt, Marechn
Mel and Bon siloue Roses.
The fine roses General Jacqucminot,
Marechal Mel and Bon Silene have been
the subjects of one of our writers of
fiction, each of them having been given
fanclful origin, cUrLingly woven into
words to make the delusion more natural.
According 20 this writer, says the
Prairie Farmer, the Bon Silene sprang
up from the cleft of broken statue to
the ancient Bishop Silcnus, after u too
conviVial tasting of wine by late1
member of the same order
As none of the fathers, who, by the
way, arc made to appear as good botan-
lists and horticultudsts, hud ever seen
u rose before, one of them said: Let
IL be called the rose OF the good Silcnus."
The Marechal Mel rooted from the
stem OF one of u whole basket of roses
presented by French peasant TO the re-
turning warrior, sick and wounded, after
his noted herosm in Italy, when France
aided Victor Emmanuel in driving out
the Austrinns
AS the story goes, the General, Won
dering why this particular shoot should
grow, found that it had piece of the
original root attached. Scarcely know
ing why, Mel determined to keep tho
shoot so curiously preserved. Return
ing to France, he placed it with noted
lloriculturist, and the next spring il bore
-four of the lovlicst pale lemon-tinged
roses the world had ever seen.
After having been awarded his baton
and the grand cross of the Legion of
Honor he was Invited TO the reception
of the then noted Empress Eugene,
Like true Knight he presented the
lady with one of these wonderful roses,
when she observed:
And so you have proved the truth
of whnt the old able used to say in his
dreadful tedious sermons at Pau about
casting the bread upon the watcrs!"
said the Empress.
Dear me, but he was tedious, that
good abbe," continued Her Majesty, with
the softest look OF retrospection in her
lovely dark eyes. Now, Monsieur lie
Marcchal," said she vivaciously, ST
shall christen this rose for YOU"
The origin of the General Jacqueminot
is credited TO an irate father who slew
the lover of his daughter with rapier,
upon which the young lady died of de
spair. The father also suffered for his
rash anger.
There had been q clump of Louis
Quinze roses, says the story, as told in
an exchange, growing by the bench
where the lovers were sitting when the
general found them This rose is beau
tifully shaped and Of n pale pink color,
deepening to almost red at its heart
These rose branches were red with the
youths blood. and the girls father or
dered them to be cut completely away.
The next spring green shoots grew from
the roots again, and one day his old gar
dener said
Monsieur, will you come into the
gardenP There is miracle TO be SEEN"
The general went. He had not been
near the spot since the day when he saw
the eyes he loved, once so soft and happy,
look upon him with awful horror-a
look that would haunt him foreverm ore
Truly IL seemed miracle had been
wrought. One splendid stem had grown
up, and on ID was bud, half opened
1t was not pale pink, as the parent had
been, but OF splendid cardinal, velvety
red-a royal rose, full OF grace and pas
sionate beauty.
The man who had never flinched at
the charge Of the wild Arab when he
rode side by side with Kleber, and stood
the shock of ten of the Hungarian and
Polish lancers, put his hands to his
eyes and wopt like u boy, and the old
gardener turned his face away that he
might not see the others grief, while
he softly whispered prayer for the sim
less soul that hid gone TO God, the fair
est flower that ever bloomed amid the
roses and lilies of France.
Shall l cut it down, my master ?"
said the old man, softly, after a few
minutes of silence.
mo; it is the flower of God, and let
it grow"
II grew and flourishcd, and this is the
legend told of the lovers gift which
sprang from n lovers blood, of the queen
of roses the royal JacuucminOt