CAUSES OF SUCCESS 19 



Rose. The straight standards, cleanly and closely 

 pruned, firmly staked and liberally mulched (blessed 

 be the boy with donkey and cart, who goes to a 

 cheap market, and sells accordingly !) ; the Manetti 

 Dwarfs, full of vigorous wood — not the stock, but 

 the scion this time ; the climbers tastefully trained 

 over * the bower of Roses by,' dare I say, * Bendigo's 

 stream,* seeing that the ex-champion was oft an 

 angler in the waters of the Trent, hard by ? — all 

 these acknowledge the royal supremacy and the 

 loyal love of our second Queen. And think what 

 a refreshment for these working-men on a summer's 

 eve, when their hot work is done, or on silent 

 Sabbaths, when there is no work to do, 'to sit 

 'mong the Roses and hear the birds sing' — songs 

 of praise, and comfort, and hope ! 



Meanwhile they have a foretaste of this gladness 

 in the glass-houses which I went to see. Houses I 

 why, a full-sized giant would have taken them up 

 like a hand-glass ; and even I, but a small office- 

 boy in connection with that great business,^ was 



^ One of the first of many delicious stories which it was my 

 privilege to hear Mr Thackeray tell, was, that once upon a time he 

 and Mr. Higgins ('Jacob Omnium ') went to see a Giant, and that the 

 man at the door inquired whether they were in the business, because, 

 if so, no charge would be made for admission. Mr. Thackeray 

 was 6 feet 4 inches, and Mr. Higgins not less than 6 feet 6 inches 

 in height. As the Eton boy, describing Windsor fair, remarked in 

 his Latin verse — 



* Gigantesque duo, super honore meo,* 



