1 HF. peony is an especially attractive 
flower greatly valued for spring and early summer 
bloom. In delicacy of tint and fragrance it more 
closely approaches the rose than any other flower. 
Numerous varieties, beautiful in form and size, vary¬ 
ing from purest white to deepest red, provide un¬ 
usual advantages for the most pleasing color 
arrangements. Peony is named for the mythological 
physician, Paeon, who was Apollo in disguise. Paeon 
administered to the gods who were wounded in the 
Trojan War and achieved wonderful results healing 
their wounds. According to an ancient belief, Aescu¬ 
lapius, Roman god of medicine, jealous of Paeon’s 
success planned to put him to death but Pluto, god 
of the lower world, saved the physician’s life by 
changing him into a peony, the very flower he had 
used in his wonderful work of healing. Still another 
belief attributes the origin of the peony to a charm¬ 
ing, blushing shepherdess, Paeonia, with whom 
Apollo was greatly in love. From this ancient belief 
comes the authority for accepting “bashfulness” as 
another meaning for this lovely flower. Peonies are 
abundant in the East. The Japanese cultivate hun¬ 
dreds of varieties. From the East, comes a legend 
of a Chinese scholar who spent his leisure time 
caring for these lovely flowers. One day a charming 
maid came to his door seeking employment. He was 
surprised by her presence, but was happy to grant 
her request. As time went on, the young scholar 
learned that she was not a mere servant but an 
accomplished companion endowed with culture and 
education, and gifted in poetry and art. Being ex¬ 
ceedingly proud of her, the young scholar intro¬ 
duced the maid to his friends who were greatly 
impressed by her accomplishments, charm and 
beauty. She was docile and always cheerfully obeyed 
his every wish till one day when a renowned moralist 
was due, to visit. Upon the arrival of the moralist 
the young scholar called the maid but she did not 
respond. Disturbed by her absence, he went to look 
for her and upon entering a darkened room he was 
startled to see her moving smoothly before him 
like an apparition. Before he could reach her, she 
silhouetted herself upon the wall and became a mere 
picture on its surface, but her lips continued to 
move as she told him that she did not answer his 
call because she was not human, but the soul of a 
peony, and that it was his love that had given her 
human form; that the moralist would not approve 
of his love and so she could not return to her human 
form but had to go back to the flowers. As the youth 
begged and pleaded with her, she withdrew farther 
into the wall and the beautiful picture she had made 
became less visible. Finally she disappeared en¬ 
tirely and the young scholar mourned his loss. 
