THE LADY DECORATOR 6i 



But the love of flowers is such a good thing that one 

 must, one should not, begrudge any one of its manifesta- 

 tions ; there is something beautiful even in the worst of 

 them. The bunch of Violets is a natural and graceful 

 gift, the birthday posy an offering the most fastidious will 

 not refuse, the basket of flowers the sweetest present to 

 the debutante or the diva. In a French town I once saw 

 a skeleton parasol, trimmed with flowers, opened and 

 handed to a lady-singer on the stage. I did not admire 

 that, but the general applause was deafening, and it was 

 impossible to repress a smile as the encore song was 

 gravely given beneath its shelter. 



There is room in our towns for both the lady 

 decorator and the flower-girl ; to both we cry a 

 welcome ! 



