The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-10-19
4 VINE.

''that we ought to have vine down
there.
'Down there was the few square feet
of soil which made up the front lawn of
our residence, and as we were sitting at
the head of the fight of brown stone steps
which led to our front door, naturally we
were at some elevation over the lawn.
1t was a relief to me to find that my
wife's mind was dwelling only upon vines.
| had Joined new club the week before,
and I had been expecting some little inter
rogations concerning initiation fees, dues,
etc., all proffered so ciyilly and courteous
ly that it would be impossible to withhold
the desired information, albeit knew that
following such interchange of confidence
would probably come gentle reminder
that 1--WE must be sure to lay in the coal in
August, as the papers anticipate strikes
next winter"
replied most cordially to the vine sug-
gestion, "a capital idea. You mean it, of
course, to be trained up the house front %
s'Oh, yes" said Mrs. John. ''It will
have to be wired up, you know, and then
trained out about each window. We have
taken the house on a long lease, and it will
pay to make such small improvements to
the property
assented with sufficient heartiness, still
little fearful that another silence on my
wife's part might evolve some reference to
club matters. But Mrs. John was absorb
ed with the vine. It and her imagination
were growing together.
81 shall get some sort of free growing
ivy, think, :" she went on Eliminating.
81 don't like big leaved vine or a sprawl
ing growth up house side-something
clinging and close, sending its slender tend
rils out in effective tracery of rich green
against the stone"
Like woman's love-" | ventured,
knocking the ashes off the end of my cigar,
and when the words rang ont on the cool
night air they reverberated through space
with a painfully fiat note.
eff you mean that woman's love is a
| licH green, oaIu MY WIG CoiuiJI az &c
with you. The woman and the love are
both richly green to bestow themselves
upon the average man. john" she broke
of irreleyantly, don't read so many cheap
novels. Stick to your business and your
clubs-oh, by the way, is the Pelham really
started ~
The Pelham was the new club. The
cool night air was no longer cool.
1.-THE Pelham?" repeated. sob, yes,
the Pelham foundering easily aud hope
lessly. 81 believe it opens shortly. I'll
tell what I'll do, Nan, about that vine.
I'll stop at the florists in the morning and
send him over to see you"-and then the
baby cried and Mrs. John sought the Sc
clusion of the second floor front.
That is how the vine started, or, to be
strictly accurate, that is how the vine did
not start.
The next evening when approached my
home shortly before the dinner hour,
gave the premises the usual inspection
which man is apt to bestow when lie is
rather proud than otherwise of his place,
and was for moment surprised to discov-
er a wire cable about one-inch in diameter
stretching from the little mat of turf in
side the iron fence away up to the roof of
the three story and basement house, and,
for aught know to the contrary, consid-
erably further AS far as the naked eye
oo,,Jd roaoI, ,,arnandion1a rIv tho xrira want
For moment l said l was surprised,
but second glance downward showed me
a small plant, perhaps six inches in height,
from whose very heart apparently the for
midable length of the wire took source.
"Ahr' reflected with smile, Mrs.
Johns vine has become an established
fact
And may as we'll state right here that
the vine seemed entirely content to exist
merely in that capacity.
At first, of course, we expected nothing
more from it than to get used to its new
surroundings, drop its underground an
chors, settle itself to work as it were-but
when a week had passed and the vine had
not seen fit to take on single additional
leaf, much less add to its stature by even
the fraction of an inch, | ventured to ask
my wife if she had carried out her express
cd intentions and procured ''free
grower"
''Oh, yes, indeed; the florist selected it
himself; be said that it was remarkably
prolific in growth. and that by fall it would
make fine showing"
'Well," replied, facetiously, "all can
say is the sooner it gets down to business
the better for the showing" Several more
days passed with the interesting specimen
of Horticulture remaining in statu quo.
II know what's the trouble with that
vine of yours, Mrs. John" remarked as
we were sitting again upon the doorstep
after dinner, and as usual viewing the es-
tate
''What?" asked my wife, quickly be-
traymg her anxiety in the matter.
cts discouraged" was my reply,
'you've given it too much wire; it's
enough to take the ambition out of the
most enthusiastic grower, l can imagine
the poor thing gazing up that stretch of
cable, saying to itself, What do they
7 ink