E. Bridgewater Dahlia Gardens J. K. Alexander , E. Bridgewater , Massachusetts 
The Iris. 
The origin of its name is as fanciful as its color. Pliny wrote that “Iris” is Egyptian for “eye” and that the 
name Iris signifies Eye of Heaven. The word “iris” is the Greek for “rainbow.” In Grecian mythology Iris, 
the rainbow personified, was one of the minor goddesses and messenger of the greater divinities, particularly of 
Juno. 
FLOWER-DE-LUCE. 
Beautiful lily, dwelling by still rivers. 
Or solitary mere. 
Or where the sluggish meadow-brook delivers 
Its waters to the weir. 
Thou laughest at the mill, the whir and worry 
Of spindle and of loom, 
And the great wheel that toils amid the hurry 
And the rushing of the flume. 
Born in the purple, born to joy and pleasance. 
Thou dost not toil nor spin, 
But makest glad and radiant with thy presence 
The meadow and the lin. 
The wind blows, and uplifts thy drooping banner, 
And round thee throng and run 
The rushes, the green yeoman of thy manor, 
The outlaws of the sun. 
The burnished dragon-fly is thine attendant, 
And tilts against the field. 
And down the listed sunbeam rides resplendent 
With steel-blue mail and shield. 
Thou art the Iris, fair among the fairest, 
Who, armed with golden rod 
And winged with the celestial azure, bearest 
The message of some God. 
Thou art the muse, who far from crowded cities 
Hauntest the sylvan streams, 
Playing on pipes of reed and artless ditties, 
That come to us as dreams. 
O flower-de-luce, bloom on, and let the river 
Linger to kiss thy feet! 
O flower of song, bloom on, and make forever 
The world more fair and sweet. 
—Henry W. Longfellow 
THE IRIS. 
“Oh beautiful ! beautiful flower! 
The ward of the sunbeam and shower 
In garments of woven delight, 
Of the sunset, Aurora and light. 
While over thy beauty there plays 
Such blending of color and shade. 
Such delicate tintings and rays, 
Well becoming a heavenly maid. 
Ethereal lovely and sweet, 
Thy Presence we joyously greet. 
Thy mother, fair Iris, in beauty supreme, 
Took all her rich fabrics of loveliest sheen, 
The robes of the rainbow, flower garden 
of air 
Of bewildering beauty, resplendently fair, 
And made for her child such a dazzling 
dress 
No daughter of royalty e’er could pos¬ 
sess.” 
—Harrison. 
*The r Iris Make Effective Border. 
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