100 
THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
thing may be on a small scale, but sufficient headroom 
for a tall man must be provided, sufficient breadth in the 
walk for a stout man, and the height of the side beds 
above the walk should be such that the plants can be 
seen and handled conveniently. As a rule, all stages 
and platfprms are too high; and this may well be 
thought of in the first instance, for it is better to 
look down on flowers and see their faces, than look 
up to them and see less of their faces than of their 
stems. All the plants in such a house should be 
grown in pots, and when their flowering is over they 
should be put outside on a bed of coal ashes in a north 
aspect, and have careful attention. It is not necessary 
to supply such houses with any kind of artificial heat. 
In the alpine house, with earth platforms and ample 
ventilation, we can have a display every spring of the 
most exquisitely beautiful flowers the earth produces. 
We can have drabas more beautiful than cushions of 
gold ; reticulated irises that make figured velvet look 
ridiculous; saxifrages that steal snow from the moun¬ 
tains and make poetry of it that warms one at the 
very time, perhaps, when the snow that has not been 
stolen chills one to the core ; primulas all dusted with 
the efflorescence of the granite they delight in; and 
epimediums that mock all art in the coloring of ‘their 
simple but delicious leafage .—Familiar Garden Flowers. 
EASTER DECORATIONS. 
T HERE is nothing more beautiful in the church than 
the sincerity and fervor of the spiritual worship of¬ 
fered within it; at the same time there is no reason why it 
should not, on special occasions or at all times, be adorned 
with physical beauty, and perfumed with the fragrance 
and draped with the graceful drapery of flowers. Flowers 
are about the only offerings that are appropriate on all 
occasions, and the growing taste for their use in decor¬ 
ating the church is one of the most cheering signs of the 
times. The love of the beautiful in the plant and flower 
is generic, it pervades all classes of society, it manifests 
itself on all occasions, and tends to unite in bonds of 
brotherly love all who possess it. 
Flowers have long been regarded as typical of the Res¬ 
urrection, and are therefore most appropriate, and in 
greater demand than ever before for Easter decoration, 
not only in the church but in the home. Why should 
not flowers be found, and in the greatest profusion, in the 
church, where man has the noblest and purest aspira¬ 
tions. Certainly the most beautiful and pure creations 
are none too good to offer Him who gave them. 
And now that flowers are being so freely used in con¬ 
nection with, or, in fact, form a part of the Easter service, 
we are pleased to notice a marked improvement in their 
arrangement. Each and every flower formerly repre¬ 
sented some specific character ; the beautiful in the plant 
found its analogy in our own lives. The Fern represented 
sincerity ; the Ivy , close friendship ; the Lily, purity. In 
selecting flowers for Easter we should, therefore, select 
such as are the most appropriate for the time and place, 
such as will teach us the most beautiful lessons, as they 
blend with those which are most sacred and important. 
In the accomplishment of this purpose, we are indebt¬ 
ed to an amateur florist for our beautiful design of a 
“ memorial offering ” prepared for a young lady and placed 
in a little country church, in memory of a loving father. 
While the design and execution was very beautiful, show¬ 
ing great artistic taste, the study was infinitely more 
beautiful. In the foreground stood the cross, which is 
emblematical of the vicarious suffering and atonement, the 
foundation of the Christian’s hope. This was made chiefly 
of roses, lilies, callas and carnations. The artist’s idea 
was that the cross should not represent sorrow, or always 
be found in dreary and desolate places, but should be 
cheerfully borne, in view of the happiness it is to give; 
it should therefore be associated with the most beautiful 
things of earth, and to carry out this idea, it was placed 
in a bed of ferns, and flowers, either white or of neutral 
tints, which indicated a beautiful sincerity. Above this 
groundwork of ferns and plants (four feet square) arose 
an easel, upon which was a panel of ivy leaves with a 
heavy frame made of flowers, the corners composed of 
lilies and roses, the rest of the frame of an outer and inner 
row of scarlet geraniums, and the centre of white azaleas; 
the white and scarlet being appropriate Easter colors. 
“ Father ” on the panel of ivy, in letters six inches long 
and four inches wide, was formed of white roses, carna¬ 
tions and forget-me-nots, with delicate branches of ivy 
running through the letters. This, to those familiar with 
the symbolic language of flowers, would read, “ I cling to 
Thee, Father; forget-me-not.” Over the frame hovered 
the Dove, the emblem of the Holy Spirit, having in its 
beak a spray of forget-me-nots. Above all, the Crown, 
the consummation of the Christian’s life, hope and faith. 
The combination of the rare flowers and equally beauti¬ 
ful plants with the emblems of the Christian’s hope, was 
in this instance a most happy one. We do not remember 
of ever seeing a more elaborate or tasteful arrangement, 
or one that combined more true feeling and sentiment. 
The simplicity of the design and the ease with which it 
can be executed should make it a subject often imitated. 
It is not to be expected that such flowers as were used in 
this design could always be obtained, as they were glean¬ 
ings from several of the best florists’ establishments in 
this country, collected expressly to carry out the design 
in the best possible manner, and to accomplish this, be¬ 
sides the flowers named, there were many orchids and 
other rare flowers used. These, however much they 
added to the beauty of the design, are not absolutely 
necessary in making the study. More common flowers 
could be used to carry out the design and produce a 
beautiful effect. In this, as in all other works of art, the 
more beautiful the material used the more beautiful will 
be the effect. 
