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MRS. CARRIE BELLE GABLE.
HYMN TO THE FLOWERS.
Day stars! that ope your frownless eyes to twinkle
From rainbow galaxies of earth's creation,
And dew-drops on her lonely altars sprinkle
As a libation.
Ye nation worshippers! who bending lowly
Before the uprisen sun, God’s lidless eye,
Throw from your chalices a sweet and holy
Incense on high.
Ye bright mosaics! that with storied beauty
The floor of Nature’s temple tessellate,
What numerous emblems of instructive duty
Your forms create!
’Neath cloistered boughs, each floral bell that
swingeth
And tolls its perfume on the passing air,
Makes Sabbath in the fields and ever ringeth
A call to prayer.
Not to the domes where crumbling arch and
column
Attest the feebleness of mortal hand,
But to that fame, most catholic and solemn,
Which God hath planned;
To that cathedral, boundless as our wonder,
Whose quenchless lamps the sun and moon
supply;
Its choir the wind and waves, its organ thunder,
Its dome the sky.
There as in solitude and shade I wander
Through the green asiles, dr stretched upon the
sod,
Awed by the silence, reverently ponder
The ways of God.
Your voiceless lips, O flowers'are living preach
ers,
Each cup t pulpit, every leaf a book,
Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers
From loneliest nook.
Floral apostles! that in dewy splendor
“ Weep without woe and blush without a crime,’ ’
O, may I deeply learn, aud never surrender •
Your love sublime;
“ Thou wert not Solomon, in all tSiy glory,
Arrayed,” the lilies cry, “ in robes like ours !
How vain your grandeur! ah, how transitory
Are human flowers!”
In the sweet scented picture, heavenlv artist,
With which thou paintest Nature’s "widespread
hall,
What a delightful lesson thou impartest
Os love to all!
Not useless are ye, flowers! though made for
pleasure,
Blooming o’er field atd wave, by day and night,
From every source your sanction bids me treasure
Harmless delight.
Were I in'churcidess solitudes remaining,
Far from all vol-.* of teachers and divines,
My soul wou dflnl.in flowers of God’s ordaining,
Priests, sermons, shrines.
A CHAT ON HARDY BULBS.
In purchasing hardy bulbs for spring
flowers, this query forces itself upon one
irresistably. “ How can I the finest
display for the least money ?”
in the first place, no ond need expect a
bed of flowers, no matter how rare, to rep
resent money value. If you expect a vis
itor to glance at your tulip-bed, for instance,
and calmly point out variety after variety,
inquiring the name and price, you are
greatly mistaken. Named bulbs, in par
ticular, are a snare and delusion, because
they are invariably from 3 to 5 times as
expensive, and give you not a whit better
flowers. Nine times out of ten, those who
purchase named sorts, do not label them
alter the first season, and consequently
have a lot of unnamed bulbs the next
spring, after all. Our advice is to buy
mixed varieties of hardy bulbs, leaving
the named sorts to cheapen in the hands
of amatures and professional florists. Hy
acinths are the most expensive bulbs we
have, that is, the imported. Those grown
in our own soils degenerate, and do not
produce as fine spikes of flowers as those
fresh from Holland; but still, for an out of
door show, these degenerate ones are best
after all. The coloring is brilliant, and the
spikes are strong enough to stand erect in
spite of the severest storm. Mixed hya
cinths can be bought very reasonably now
from any florist and will give satisfaction.
Tulips are showy and cheap. Many named
varieties can be bought for 5 cents each.
They make a flue display, and blooming
early as they do, we appreciate their
brightness.
The man who goes fishing and sits in a
cramp-inviting posture on a narrow thwart
from early morn till dewy evs and calls it
fun, is the same chap that never goes to
church becausq the pews arep’t cppjforta
bla.
WINTERING FLOWERS.
This month we will be busy preparing a
winter home for the floweres. We must
see that the conservatory or the pit is
cleaned and all broken glasses repaired by
new ones. Then how safe we feel, when
the frost king comes with his icy breath,
to know our pits are well cared for. Keep
all your old caipets and mats, so that
when a snow storm or hard freeze is expect- i
ed, you can cover your pit. Take care '
to place some weight at each end to keep |
the heavy winds from blowing the cover- ;
ing off; or you can lay boards over the
sash. Never try to clean the snow off your 1
pit, as it is warm under the snow and it is :
best to let it remain until the weather,
moderates; then go at it after the sun gets
warm and let as much sunshine in the pit
as possible. Never allow the cold air io
strike directly on the plants,—it.retards
growth and is death to all blooms. If the
water should rise in the pit, and not get too
high, allow it to remain; it will not hurt
your flowers, indeed it will prevent their
freezing; should any flowers or plants get
frozen, carry them into a very dark closet,
I or a better plan, cover the the pit entirely,
i keeping >t perfectly dark until all danger
is over. This is what the florists call “ thaw
ing in the dark.” I know from experience
what a benefit it is. Should your callas
freeze, plunge the leaves in cold water sev
eral times, then return to the pit in the
dark.
TO MAKE GERANIUMS FLOWER
IN WINTER.
There is perhaps no plant better suited
for prolonged flowering during the winter
months than the Geranium, if handled in
the following manner: Procure young
plants of the varieties you wish, about, the
middle of May. Put them in four-inch
pots, this being the best to keep them in
for the next four months. Use well-decay
ed sod, adding about one-third cow manure.
Mix thoroughly together; but do not make
too fine, as the Geranium-delights in rather
a rough compost. Place them in a shady i
situation, first putting about four inches of ■
ashes under the pots. This will have the '
! effect of keeping worms and other insects ;
J out of the pots. Keep them on the dry side.
as you do not, want to encourage growth.-
Should any flowers appear, pinch off; also
the leading shoots, to keep them in shape.
Toward the end ot September repot them
in six-inch pots—that is, six inches in di
ameter—in the compost recommended
above. They will now commence to grot#
freely. About the 10th of October put
them in their winter-quarters, selecting the
window where they will get most sun and
light. Plants treated in this manner will
flower the whole winter.
LILIES.
Now is also the time for potting lilies
to bloom in the house or conservatory.
The best for this purpose are L Auratum,
Longiflorum, Harrissi and the Lancifoli
ums. All bulbs, as soon as received, should
be carefully examined, and any decaying
matter removed They should then be laid
in soil, or better still", cocoanut fibre, in a
moderate condition of moisture, until the
bulb recovers its usual plumpness and the
roots are just on the point of starting from
the base. Then they should be potted out
as required. It is best when planting to
surround the bulbs with soil. Manure
should never be dug in with the bulbs,
though they accept it gratefully as a top
dressing, liberally applied after they have
been established. The soil should contain I
a good part of rich heat and nearly one
third sand.
If a strong tuber of Calla Histata Var- '
iegata (Spotted-leaf lily) can be procured. '
it will form a highly ornamental plant. ;
We saw one planted in a twelve inch pot, I
that was a beauty indeed. It filled the pot
with strong shoots, the leaves being beau
tifully spotted and so nearly transparent
that one could almost see through them.
This lily is also a very free bloomer, al
though the flower is not as large nor as
white as the regular Calla Lily.
THE AMARYLLIS.
An excellent plant for the house is the
Amaryllis. It never fails to send up its
flower-stalk crowned with three or five
beautiful lilly-like blossoms. Last spring
we had one to send up two stalks, each
bearing five exquisite blooms. The color
is a bright crimson, with broad band ot
white down the center of each petal; they
are large and showy, being from 5 to G
inches across the bloom. They require
very little care. Give an abundance of
water while in bloom, and keep dry for at
least two months after flowering. I keep
the bulb growing for some time after
blooming, to develop it for future flowering,
but it should be dried off for sometime be
fore blooming. Don’t move the bulb, sim
ply let the earth get dry.
ROSE AMBROSIA.
Most persons will agree that the rose
has enough in its perfume and beauty, to
sustain pretentions as queen of flowers, but
it seems that, the rose can be made exquis
ite also to a third sense. Several years ago
a confection of rose petals was served to
Emperor William. It was the gift of an
English lady, and came from Alexandria,
where the rose thus prepared, is considered
a strengthening as well as a delicate dish;
but Egyptian cooks are said to be the only
ones who understand the art of preparing it,
and the right species of rose for this pur
pose grows only in that region. A Smyrna
house, is said however, to export jelly of
roses. Perhaps research might find away
of converting other flowers, besides East
ern roses, into delicate food. In that case,
cookery and floriculture would strike up
a closer alliance than it now seems possi
ble for them to have.
The shades of color in a flower vary re
markably, even in the course of the same
day, according as it is lighted by the direct
sunshine of mid-day or by a north light
from a bright blue sky, and it is known
that flowers themselves seek by preference
the warm orange rays of sunlight. M. L.
Hugo has been making some experiments
on the modifications induced by electric
light, the results of which he communi
cated lately to the Paris Academy of
Sciences. He finds that under this influ
ence the Nidularium exhibits a beautiful
red portion in the centre of its clump of
lanceolated foliage, the electric light ap
pearing to him to intensify its red lustre.
The Caladium exhibits red particles disper
sed among the white or green leafage, the
brilliancy of this red appearing sensibly
“ tarnished,” and approaching a reddish
brown.— Exchange
The growing of Chinese narcissus in wa
ter,is becoming a favorite fashion with ladies
in some parts of the East. It is a custom
said to have been introduced from China
1 into California by natives of the Flowery
Kingdom.
The Chinese narcissus grown in waUr,
, affords a very interesting and beautiful
house-plant, and the method of procedure
i is so simple that any one may try it.
Place the'bulb in a shallow bowl, propit
in place with small stones and fill the bowl
with water. . . f
This should be done about six weeks be
fore the plant is wanted in flower. Then
set it away in the dark to make root-growth,
the same as is done in cultivating hyacinths
in water. When the roots are well started
remove the plant to a sunny window and
it will grow and bloom with no additional
attention but a little fresh water every
day.—Exchange.
For Woman’s Work.
THE PROBLEM OF LIFE.
On this bead one feels inclined to say
with the great writer—“all has been said;”
yet it still remains a mystery greater than
the pyramids, a riddle unanswered, unan
swerable.
When confronted by its endless vexing
perplexities, we feel tempted to lollow the
example of the polite Frenchman, who,
when contradicted by a lady in a state
ment which he knew to be true, simply
made her a grand bow and departed.
Doubtless many a one of the “care i ncum
bered thousands” would have made his
grand bow to existence ere this, had he not
been restrained by the strong arm of divine
law. As it is, many a one rides in the
tournament of life with lance head pressed
hard in a mortal wound to keep the blood
from flowing. The mortal wounds are not
all one must suffer. The dust and sand flies
on a march, often wring cries of agony
from the wounded that the shock of battle
has failed to move. It is not only’ the hill
country' that tries the strength. The dull
monotony of the level tracts is often more
wearying. To gaze down the road ot life
and see never a break or a turning to vary
its arid tedium, will make the stoutest
spirit quail. In those dark hours between
midnight and dawn—the battle-ground
where the spirit and the flesh meet in mor
tal combat—many a stricken heart cries
aloud in its anguish, “ was there ever such
misery as mine?” Ah ! yes. The present
is but a repetition of the past and a proph
ecy of the future.
What is, has been and will be again.
Take courage, scourged spirit; clasp duty
to your bosom, and wrest a blessing from
the stern-visaged visitant ere you let her
go. Strive on, till like him who, standing
just outside the portals of eternity, said:
“ I have struggled and fought with the
legions of wrong till my armor has caught
the gleam of eternity’s sun.”
The shield may be dinted and the helmet
hacked, but the gleam of that sun will
banish the scars and turn life’s battle-worn
armor to gold.
Eiggam Renmah.
For Woman’s Work.
THE BEST OF FRIENDS.
The sight ot a mother and child who are
quite inseparable, not merely through the
mother’s solicitude or thechild’s helplesness,
but through genuine preference for each
other’s society, is one of the most beautiful
in the world. Motherhood, beautiful under
all circumstances, takes an added embell
ishment from an affectionate companion
ship of this sort. There is such an attach
ment between little Daisy and her mother’
as if they were not merely mother and
daughter nor woman and child, but jolly
good friends as well. Not long ago Daisy
was induced, by a lady who was on terms
of intimate relationship, to go and visit her
for a day or two. Daisy spent the time
allotted, and then was bronght back by
her hostess’ who remarked with a smile.-
“I’m afraid that Daisy didn’t have the
best time in the world. She wept slightly
once or twice.”
Alter the lady had gone, Daisy’s mother
asked her:
“Were you homesick, Daisy?”
* ( No, not homesick, you know, but I
guess I was a little mother-sick, mamma!”
After the demonstration that followed,
Daisy asked.-
“Were you happy while I wa« away,
mamma?”
“Not very happy Daisy,”
“Then I guess you must have been child
sick, weren’t you,mamma?” .
And the mother thought she was.
For Woman’s Work.
DEPARTURE OF SUMMER.
CARRIE BELLE GABLE.
Ere in the Northern gale
The summer tresses of the trees are gone,
The woods of autumn all arouud our vale,
Have put their glory on.
The mountains that enfold,
In their wide sweep the colored landscape
round,
Seem groups of giantkings in purple and In gold
That guard enchanted ground.
The departure of summer leaves us sad,
when we look around us and notice the ab
sence of all the treasured plants that bright
ened our gardens and homes. “Blessings
brighten as they take their flight.”-aiuL-tli£-
quenching of so much song, sunshine and
sweetness that we have enjoyed through
the fleeting months of summer, naturally
brings a feeling of depression. We visit
the places once filled with Summer splen
dors and find no more the brightness that
was wont to gladden us as we wandered
by the silvery stream, beneath wide spread
ing boughs of oaks that stretched their
emerald arms to support the tender cling
ing vines now brown and sere. The air is
full of echoes of depanted joys. But to
some the cold, fresh days bring a renewal
of health and happiness, while to others, a
sense of something gone fiom out their
lives. Though our nest has been rifled and
we mourn over the empty shells so sugges
tive ot joys and hopes that once were ours,
there must remain in the heart an assur
ance that the summer will come again,
bringing with it all the fresh gladness that
has left us. Ah, no, not ended, we have
extracted its honey and distilled its dews,
and the song we fancied bad come to an
end is merely laid away, to be put in tune
at a warmer, brighter day. Nature must
change her melodies. She sings in a major
key for a time, but the plaintive tones of
the winds as they rustle the dying leaves
bring, if not a gladness, still a soothing
feeling, like some noble psalm that is more
elevating than the turbulent trill of the
summer warblers.
Os all months of the year October is the
one for reflection; as we review the past
we cannot but contemplate the future.
The annual death of the leaves and flowers
and their annual resurrection teach a beau
tiful lesson. What is more richly instruc
tive than the verdure of spring? Field
and forest mantled In emereld in April,
whitened with blossoms in May and June,
awaken al! that is noblest and best in our
natures. The rich summer beauty, the
luxuriance of the harvest, the brilliancy of
autumn inspire us with richer and riper
thoughts. The whole summer is a con
tinuous feast that we try to share with our
friends.
The saddest day of the year to the lover
of flowers is, one that succeeds a hard frost.
A thousand attachments are severed in a
few hours. The wilderness that had blos
somed as the rose has become a blackened
sepulchre at the touch of the icy lips of
King Frost. But we have only to wait a
few months and we hail once more the
vernal spring, for ’tis only through death
that we live again. There are a multitude
of blessings for every sorrow, for— t
’Twould be a lot too blest
Forever in the emerald shade to stray;
Amid the kisses of the warm scuthwest
To live aud dream for aye.