FOR THE GIRLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 102, 2 May 1931, Page 2 (Supplement)

FOR THE GIRLS.

WINTER FLOWERS, CARNATIONS AND THE LILY. My Dear Girls, — the less sweetly. . , -« ■' M j 11, ;« JnwJn? with scarlet carnations and in the wilder, My garden walk is £°™S JJg, 8 ,;i ie , are un folding their cap, less cultivated part, hardy, yet staieiy «- „„.:♦«• « n d honour Thl - Of white ~*2Lft Se'ra, he',., Sft^lS."«* dp of Chr£i.ni, y it w. dedicated to Mary, andl U .pok.n of .till a. the Madonna Id,. n»— the lilv wa» oroud, a tradition tell, USi it fell from grace in the £th^ head in sympathy as our Lord passed by. Standing proudly erect, * own perfect loveliness and fragrance would m themselves be suftSt to comfort His aching heart. But as the Master *£**** at it in the moonlight, the lily became abashed and realised the dtference between self-satisfaction and due humility. A red flush of shame spread over the face of the flower, so now we have red lilies with drooping heads. The Madonna lily was introduced into England in the fifteenth century, and Shakespeare makes many references to the great popularity of the flower. "Give me swift transportance to those fields where I may wallow in the lily beds." The discovery of gold in California and the opening up of China and Japan by Europeans have resulted m the intro. duction of many fresh and beautiful varieties. The carnation was supposed to have been brought over to England by the old Norman builders. It was then known as Dianthus, that pretty, small, sweet-smelling pink. It is difficult to realise to-day that all the wonderful colours, forms and modern varieties of carnations have sprang from this tiny flower. But what, indeed, smells more sweet than an oldfashioned clove carnation? Chaucer mentions the carnation as oeing in cultivation during the reign of Edward 111. The quaint word "gilliflower" has almost dropped out of use, but it is met with in old writings in refer, ence to the close carnation. Here again Shakespeare shows his fondness for flowers in "The fairest flowers of the season are our and streaked gillyflowers." Another old writer praises the carnation is being a "very beautiful and exceeding delightsome flower." The legends surrounding the flower are not numerous, but there is a pretty tale relating to the use of the flower in the Armorial Bearings belonging to an old Italian family. It is of the love of the Countess Margharita Nonsecis for a young knight who was compelled to go to the Crusades on the eve of their marriage. Before he left the Countess gave him a white carnation to wear as a talisman. A year passed without any news, when a soldier came bringing her the news of her lover's death and with it a little withered carnation flower. Noticing the flower had been stained crimson by her, dear love's blood, she examined it carefully and found it had set one seed. * This she planted and carefully tended until v t^^r^ in due course a white flower was borne, but with a ft jtiJ^A^^^^ crimson centre like none ever before seen in a l/v' carnation. *T'