Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-10-10
About Roses

TheSe are LEGENDS ard ttadlttcns anc
sweet familiar stories about rosna, but none
more true, lovely or pathetic than hover
about, Ike old ieuily phsntasma, among
med agal rural gardens whose hems ere
sill! redolsnt with oomfrey and sTeet oiCely,
wbose fragrance, two O'clock ssphyr
watts into the writer's path almost daily.
Away With the urns of dead roses. The
living rose fer you end me And the pretty
aud popular gossip about the velvety grace
and social presence of the Gen Jscqueminot
will soon oe heard from the lips Of the ros-
asian and the plebisn ear6nsr. The ama-
teur farmer who bsauti6es the clG home
stead grounds enjoys the culture Of theEe
royal queens; their elegance is conspicuous
In deep rich red and the sweet hoUae coun-
try IL fsst making It the rose of lis adoption.
Il requires rich, loamy soil, ard II propa.
gated by layering it can he done In mid
summer from the present season'e growth.
Bend down shoot, and With tWo-tined
stick hold IL Within the mellow Garth. The
layers msy hs detached from the parent
tree either In tho fall or spring and trans.
plepted. Ones In cultiva;ing one OF these
datk-hesrted beauties found Its color 10
be It's cTowning merit. end was ever wieh-
ing I could twine the blooms amid The
sNigs OF the soft dark hair If sorls dainty
FrenohPby lllsiin readiness !or some nythicsl
| conventional party; though N reality die
wiser thing and plucked them for the
flower committee, who placed them upon
the stands bv sick bede.
Around the Jack" rose clings q rather
grln and CORY history, bat there is always
miuging Of charm ia sad legend go l
want to tell 1t from memory. The French
General Js1qleminot was born 10 the
WesG Indies ED had haEy temper. He
had cGe daughter who bore the pretty name
Of Marguerite. Au old nurse had always
taken care OF her. She grew very lovely
and IS good ss beautiful, and the son OF q
neishbo gave her sn honorable and unim-
passioued love, which was returned With
upqaeetoning faith. One day the fierce Of
fcer returned home unexpectedly and in
qaiSed for Marguerite. The nurse, fearing
nIe anger, denied the knowledge OF her
wheTesboute. The angry parent seized q
Small sword and ran into the garden where
the TWO lovers eat side by eide. His sweet
daughter, flied With alarm, threw herself
! ios,ioc5iVely tsfore her lover. The general
end yonpg Huhers crossed deadly swcrds
and the lover led fell dead st their feet,
Marguerite also died with the end of sum-
mer. From LISTERS the father learned how
true wss the affection that awaited his re-
turn end sanction, and bis whole nature yes
softened by remorse. Against the garden
terrace bad swined a pale pink rose. The
lovers had sat there and the genera! order
ed It cnt to the ground. 10 the spring the
shoots osme up again, not pink but bearing
one single, perfect velvet red rose, full of
passonste beauty. When called By the
gardener to view the marvel, the old etriok-
en- father mosnad and weps. "Shsll eeyer
1t, my master ?" asked the old servant, res.
dy to spare him grief. NO" was the an
swsr, "God sent che rose." So the rose was
named for him who spared it. Hence /
think the "Jsck" should be tribute to In
nocent love ss the yellow Mareohal Mel Is
tribute to beauty. My admiration ls d.
vided between this rose. so becoming to
'brunes," aud the old dooryard white rose,
emblem OF fdel!ty.-Ne,O England Home
stead.