THE FRUITS IN CONVENTION. 451 



forth plain Bellflower : and the Surprise Apple turned red, as he 

 attempted to say something (the Morello trying to hiss him down) ; 

 but he was only able to stammer out his astonishment that any one 

 could doubt the policy of so wise a movement. 



There was here a tumult among some of the foreign Grapes, 

 accustomed to live in glass-houses, who had been caught by the 

 Crab Apples stoning the windows, and sticking their spurs (they 

 were short-pruned vines) into some patient-looking old Horse Apples 

 from the western States. A free-soiler, who was known as the 

 Northern Spy, was about to sow the seeds of the apple of discord 

 in the convention, by bringing forward an amendment, that no 

 foreign fruits, and especially none which were not " on their own 

 bottoms," should be t l lowed to settle in any of the new States or 

 territories, when that old favorite, the Vergal Pear, made a sooth- 

 ing speech, in his usual melting and buttery manner, which brought 

 all the meeting to a feeling of unanimity again ; when they re- 

 solved to postpone further action, but to prepare a memorial on the 

 subject, to be laid before the Congress of Fruit-growers, at its meet- 

 ing next fall in Cincinnati. 



