THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



235 



ception were at its disposal, and a great cluster of roses, 

 fresh from the hands of a lovely girl whose life had been 

 sheltered and pleasure loving, were sent to the mother 

 of the child whose short years had known nothing but 

 hard work. 



In writing to the guild of the flowers and the blessing 

 they brought to that stricken household, the head worker 

 said : 



"When I took your flowers to the home — two rooms 

 on the top floor of a tenement in the most congested dis- 

 trict of the city — I did not see one of God's flowers ; 

 there was only a set wax piece, such as some of our flor- 

 ists delight to display in their windows. Tears streamed 

 down the cheeks of the mother as I handed your flowers 

 to her, and they stayed with her after the funeral and 

 comforted her, I know." 



During the months of November and December, 1911, 

 through the courtesy of the members of the Junior 

 League of New York City, no less than fifteen thousand 

 bunches of flowers found their way from the mansions 

 of Fifth avenue to the homes of the tenement dwellers 

 on the East Side and to equally poor homes in old Green- 

 wich Village. In many cases the flowers were sent to 

 crippled children (and there are many such in this big 

 city) who will never be able to gather a flower them- 

 selves. To these poor little things lovely orchids and 

 violets and lilies were indeed a rare sight, even in the 

 florists' windows, and to them the idea of handling and 

 owning such beautiful blossoms was most wonderful. 

 The New York Transfer Company generously placed a 

 wagon and two helpers at the disposal of the Guild. The 

 drivers are always interested in taking the flowers — to 

 the children especially, and no "tip" other than a bunch 

 of roses is ever given or expected. 



From the Roosevelt-Alexander wedding in June, 1910, 

 the flowers were sent both from the church and from the 

 reception. Four helpers divided the great masses of 

 glowing blossoms as evenly as possible, and each box, 

 properly labeled by the guild, was safely transported to 

 its destination. Fourteen institutions were supplied with 

 a wealth of flowers which some years ago would have 

 faded a few hours after serving their first purpose, but 



which, through the guild's system, gave pleasure to thou- 

 sands of weary toilers. 



From the most notable wedding of 1910 — that of Miss 

 Vivian Gould to Lord Decies — the guild had the privilege 

 of distributing the church flowers. Five thousand 

 bunches were sent to tenement homes, to hospitals and 

 to mission churches. Mr. McConnell, the florist, gave 

 the guild the use of his big vans and his men to transport 

 the flowers from the church to No. 70 Fifth avenue, the 

 office of the guild, and it was long after nine o'clock that 

 night before the last box had been delivered. 



In addition to the cut flowers, one hundred potted white 

 flowering lilacs and daisies were sent to institutions hav- 

 ing a yard space, where each recurring year a reminder 

 of this international marriage will blossom, and blossom 

 again. 



On the big covered roof of the East Side School for 

 Crippled Children 180 youngsters had a "Flower Day" 

 last spring. The auxiliary branches of the Guild scat- 

 tered throughout New York State and some through New 

 Jersey responded generously to the cry of the children for 

 "flowers," and for two days big crates, huge boxes and 

 enormous baskets packed high with blooming beauties 

 arrived. 



The work of the guild brings it into contact with the 

 poorest of the poor — in homes where luxuries are un- 

 known, and where the occupants need all the light and 

 cheer that the "other half" can give them. If in summer 

 the advent of flowers is hailed with joy, think what pleas- 

 ure they must bring in the dreary cold of winter. 



The guild is a co-operative charity and supplements 

 charitable and mission work. It is supported entirely by 

 voluntary contributions. Each year its field broadens, 

 and it now has over two hundred institutions on the re- 

 ceiving list of the New York branch. 



NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW 



NEW YORK 



APRIL, 1913 



