SlCI-TICMBKU 4. ]',tl!» 



The Florists' Review 



15 



THE SPEECH OF SENTIMENT 



'SAY IT WITH FLOWERS." 



iiil; Im'I ilfl)M!. .lust think \\li;tl il iiicaiis lui m citii's. wlicii l;i ken • i ur .-i day't. 

 .it lli;it iiri |Hiitaiit rvciit in Ikt lil'i' t il'ii;^ in the cunntiy, jiic ii\crwlii'lni(-i| 



Best Conveyers of Sentiment. 



I'lowcTM (•••irry tiic >;rf;ifrst iii('ssi\<i<- 

 into all (Minditioiis of mir lives, in a 

 rnoi(> <lir(H-t manner than any other 

 a,y;eney on earth. They cany niessayt's 

 of syni|iatliy, i(i\e, friemlshiii, eoiij^rat ii 

 lation, in fact all the most <lesiral)le 

 sentiments, and are received ill each in 

 stance l)y an a|i|Pi'eciat ion which is in 

 calcnlalde when coinpan'il with the 

 value t)f more inatei'i;ilist ic commodities. 

 If a person near and dear suffers a ^re.at 

 l>erea\ emeiit , there is no way to assuaf^e 

 the loss and convey our sympathy better 

 than sendinij a t(d<en (d' tlowcis in some 

 form. The messa^f is concise aucl c()m 

 plete, and on such .in occasion tlu- flow 

 ers seem to blend with the surroiindin<js 

 and they seem to droop their heads and 

 try to look their hest as if to s|ire;id 

 what clieer and comfort they c;m. 



Consider a wetldiny, how incoiii plet r 

 sindi a function would he without the 

 h(Uise or church lieini; decoi:ited with 

 plants and flowers, and who in their 

 wildest imaj^ination can think id' :i bride 

 in all her weildin^ finery wit limit a 

 shower lioiKjiiet ? On such an occasion 

 llowers are almost as necessar\' .-is tin 

 liride herstdf. 



Help at a Needful Time. 



.\ lovesick sw.ain li:is fallen iie;id over 

 lieels in love with "'the only <;irl in thi' 

 uorld"; he makes a call, his liith 

 >pee(di is all readVj because he h.iv i,' 

 he;irse<l it nuinei'oiis times, but when the 

 ■ • zero hour'" .-irrives, the inexitable 

 lump comes into his throat, he is e\ 

 ; leiiHdy nerx'ous, and his. coiira;;c fails. 



The iie.xt day, as they say in the movies, 

 his mind is whirling like an (dectric f;iii 

 on .-I hot d;iy, and he is tryin<; to de\ ise 



I plan wheridiy he c:iii let her know the 



lejith of his infatuation. .\t last the 

 wei;;lit is off his mind, the foj; lias lifted, 

 ;iiid the world looks bri>;ht once more. 

 Ife visits a Horist, procures a dozen of' 

 'he best roses; they are daintily packed 

 111 ;i liox, accoiii|i:inied by his card, and 

 delivcreil to tlie oliject of his atTection>. 

 \Vlieii he calls a;iain, if the roses ar« 

 occiipyiiifj a jiromiiieiii pl.ace in the jiar 

 lor, that message implies that he ha- 

 made a hit, ;uid if she should show hei 

 :il)preciaf ion with ;i kiss well, that 

 \\iuild be a houir run. It' she acts in 

 differently, that is sii;iii licaiit emui^h 



and our hero acts accordingly. Not a 

 word nee<l be said: the loses have iloio' 

 all the talking. 



Their Message is V.arious. 



What IS there on (iod's fo(dstuid thai 

 iueatlo's the breath of life ill u sick 

 room in such :i teiiclrr manner as a flow 

 eriiig jilaiit or .1 Iuiik h of t'r;igr;iiit flow 

 ers? .\t such .-I time the p.atiellt needs 

 .ill the mental food procurable, and 

 wli.'it comfort and happiness the afllicted 

 one must gain by having them iieai by 

 where she can jiass the dreary hours in 

 \\;itching eaidi flower as it develops and 

 the sweet memories that tliev leave 

 .liter tlii^y have fadt'd ainl gone' 



\ \ oiin>; ladv is ;_riadiia t iiig or it\;ik 



><■ the recipient of a t)oU(pH't of some 

 sort. ilow |irouilly she cjirries it! She 

 is all smiles as she show.s it to all liei 

 .■KMpiai lit aiices, ami usually she give- 

 them all a smell so tli;it tlny.c.an share 

 it with her. 



l''rom time iiiiiiieiuorial we li.ivf lieanl 

 of hubby being luit with coiil;iii i;i I 

 friends. He .anlicipales the icv gl.iiiio 

 liiat will be hi-- on his return. What 

 does he do in siudi ;i c(Uit iugeiicy .' Why. 

 lie takes home a bo\ ot' tlowels t'ol 

 wlfey. The icy sl.are c!i;iiiges to a smile 

 ,iiid all is serene, and ;igaiii the tlower-- 

 do the ne<-ess;irv t.alkiii;^. 



I'orlorn indeed and forgot i<n look-- 

 the grave on Memorial dav that h.is not 

 been enibidlislied with plants or lloweis, 

 and it is wtdl to note in this eoiineit ion 

 that natural flowers c(uivey a nussagi 

 that artificial ones do not. The l.ittei 

 do not lit iiif'i the onler ot' tliines. t'oi 

 tliev give too miudi of .'i iii;i t e ii;i I elV<'e!. 



.\t Christmas and K.istei, in fad, .ill 

 during the winter, when all outdoius jv 

 b;ire and brown, how acce|ptable and a p 

 propriate is a gift ot' ;i pl.ant in blooin. 

 or cut flowers' 



Satisfy a Normal Want. 



livery iiorm.il human being is a lover 

 ot' tlowcis bv instinct. <'liihlren who 



bv the loveliness of' ii;itiire; In v ;i ri.a 1)1 y 

 tliev begin iii(d\iiig wild tlos\ers :ind eon 

 --idei they h;ive found a treasure gar 

 dell. .\t "the end (d' a |ierfect day'' 

 the little ones turn homeward ag.aiii, 

 tired but li.appy, still clutching: I heir 

 precious boiKpiets to keep until they 

 witlii'r and ilie, but leaving a message 

 <d' the most lender memories tli.at linger 

 III the minds of most children during 

 1 heir eiit ire liAi's. 



i'.ake a. trip .iloni; .a count rv roail an<l 

 -<■( a farmhouse. lsylate<| though it is, 

 llore is an <dd fashioned flower g.ardeii 

 with its blaze of color, the vvliole juc 

 lure conveying a messagi' fd' peace, tran 

 MuiNity and confidence. 



We could well attempt to . -lilt iv. ate 

 the indomitabl(! spirit of every nieiiiber 

 ot the tloral kingdiuii. In their wild 

 -t.ite flowers .are tr;iiii]ded on .iiid up 

 lootecl, but given the bast I'llcour.age 

 iiieiit tliev will start all over .again and 

 III dill time be in lull lliiuer, swaviiig 

 in the wind and acting :is though ad 

 veisitv h.ad never come their vv.ay. Tliev 

 till .a iniicli Larger sphere m our lives 

 tli.in we re.ali/e, .and we come to look 

 upon tliein in ,'i commonplace, m.atter 

 of t'.act in.aiiiiei, tint just the same this 

 world would be ,a dre.ary |)l;ice without 

 llieiii. And the wonder of it .all i--, wh.at 



Robert S. Edgar. 



