Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-11-27
VIGNETTES.
ON THE CUSTOM OF FOLLOWING.
Nsto York Tribune

He made an arrangement with the
florist, whose stand was nearest MS
club, so that every morning and evening
he might have fresh pink to wear In
his buttonhole.
"Ei! quo mono!" (What pretty
boyD said Pepita, when she aud her
maid, driving or walking together,
caught sight of the young man watch
ing them with respectful intentness.
Now. mono was well-chosen word,
for, as an adjective it signifies pretty,
while, as a substantive, it signifies mon
KEY. The title was caught up as
proper name, and in our circle Pepita
was ioked about her Senior Mono.
Pepita was half pleased half vexed oy
Mono's courtship. She was very young;
he was one of her first acknowledged
conouests. 1t seemed very womanish
in him to wear flowers in the street, but
then the flowers chosen were her favor
tie pinks. Little Senior Mono knew that
well-selected faults endear.
Meantime, no conversation was per-
mitted or sought, beyond q f1atterlng
phrase or two. When PepiJa went out
Mono would be sure to follow her home,
but ever following at respectable dis
lance. He was content to watch her
mincing, high-heeled gait, and TO near
the passing men, even coachmen on
their boxes, exclaim to each other at
sight Of her: Andaluza pura'-con-
densing all praise into the words,
"pure Andalusian," breaking oil any
other talk in order to say II, with eye
brows raised in admiration. When she
had entered the patio and the door had
closed behind her, he would pass oy
the house and, as general recognition
Of her family, bow to any one who hap
pened to be at window.
But one day he was less discreet.
Pepita and her maid were walking In
the Gale de Geneva, with Mono follow
ing, as usual. Meeting priest who
was Pepita's father-confessor, the wom-
en- stopped to speak with him, and
Pepta reverently kissed his hand.
Then they passed on, and Mono joined
the priest, whom he also knew. The
priest held out the hand that Peplta
had just kissed. Mono, instead OF mere
lp shaking it, as men do, raised IL to-
ward his lips, intending to steal what
had been given to the church; but he
reckoned without the quick intelligence
OF the good confessor, who had not
reached the age of sixty without learn
ing what most men know. There was
a clean upward stroke OF the reverend
hand, from the flexible reverend wrist,
passing Mono's mouth and neatly snuo-
bling his nose.
Then both men laughed little-the
Younger man with constraint-and sep
arated.
Pepita either saw this attempt to steal
her holy kiss, or was told OF it. The
presum ption is In favor of her having
seen it, for her pure Andalusian eyes
saw everything, somehow, without ever
seeming to observe.
Well, at any rate, she knew OF it, and
punished the transgressor on the follow
ing day in the Alcazar Garden.
ii.
When some one you like, with per-
suasion on her lips, sings, II fS-mem-
Der an old garden" and singing with a
full note for each dear, ddistinct sylla-
Bile lets music rest upon the thought;
when she turns from the keyboard to
question you with her eyes, to see If
you have a mental picture OF the same
old garden, the very same old garden
and no other, why then you two (bless
you'll may have in mind a garden In
Florida, or a garden In Maine, but sure
ly, surely, its shrubs, its vines, It's leaves
OF trees and blades OF grass,
have somewhat grown beyond the
gardeners prescriptive rule, his pruning
hook and his scythe; surely there are
some extravagant branches hanging
low over the walks, some tufts Of weed
in the gravel. Such slight marks OF
passing time are needed TO stir their
memory. Would Eden itself, II eternally
trimmed and primmed, cut back and
raked over look like genuine old
garden?
Not too prim, but indulgenty allowed
to look genuine, in the garden of the
AlcaZar at Seville. 1t is old, indeed,
and judicious neglect makes It look so
much older that when gardner in
forms you that Peter the Cruel gathered
fruit from the orange tree beneath
which you stand, you say: "0i course,
Naturally.
Nothing undignl6ed, mondern or
smart is in the entire enclosure, except
one of the walks, bordered with high
hedges, which is trap devised by some
practical joker.
This walk is paved; below its pave
ment a net work Of pipes is hidden, and
the pavement itself is honeycombed
with little holes through which water
may be forced in hudreds Of jets, max
ing the path for its entire length an in
verted shower-bath.
Now, II one has casually strolled into
this path, and II then some mischieyous
friend. in collision with the gardener,
has the water turned on, there is no es-
cape from good wetting; and under
such circumstances a victim may be
pardoned for holding this continuance TO
be undignitied, modern, smart and all
the rest Of IL. But the dry wits OF his
party may equally be pardoned for re-
minding him that he Is in a Spanish
garden. that the love Of prsctical jok-
ing Is ingrained in the Spanish nature,
as q sort Of foil for the national dignity:
that In Spanish eyes such things are
far from being modern or unauthorized:
inasmuch as the heroic Cid himself.
type Of ancient chlvalry for the whole
Peninsula, begun his career with a
practical joke. when he filed strong
tressure-chests with sand aud deposited
them as security for a loan Of money.
But enough said about the Cid or
other heroic personages OF ancient days.
Pepita is very far from being heroine;
che is just common little Sevillian.
with dash Of vulgarity; but then She
has the advantage of being alive still,
escunnora MA All 90 toooshov go :.