The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-28
Bridal Flowers.

The investing of flowers with IN
blematic significance, and regarding
them as embodying sentiment which
could hardly be as well expressed in
words. Is a poetic fancy which dates
much further back than the history Of
civilization. Indeed. from all We are
able TO arrive at in reference. We are
induced TO think the language cmbod>
led in flowers, as among the earliest
evidences Of a tendency to "A higher
grade of culture and refinement,
among all the nations OF Oriental orl-
gin and it is from these nations that
this beautiful and ~elevatlng idea has
been handed down TO modern times.
In the bridal garlar1. as the lowers
specially dedicated to Venus. ana sig
n~ificant of Love, the myrtle was pre-
eminent. Thus say a writer,
Love, when ruler Of the heart, leaves
no room for any other feeling, and
love as the fundamental instinct of
wedlock. gives peculiar Importance to
the myrtle crown next IN Importance.
The orange blossom, comes next IN
importance and so the fair brow OF a
maiden bride is crowned with a gar
land of orange blossoms IN token OF
the purity of life and soul. with which
h gives her hand in marriage. 1t Is
probable that orange blossoms IN the
bridal. were used first in Italy as the
| orange is Indigenous TO the country. III
its more Southern portions ana be
cause that, IN Italy, many OF the re-
fnements Of dress, known at the
present day, Lad origin.
In the rural districts Of England.
the hawthorn is used in the wedding
garland. and the hawthorn beng made
to signify Hope. and hope being a
browning element in wedlock, it is not
unmeet that the bridal garland should
be woven of this modeStly beautiful
white bosom. In his deserted Vii
lage." Goldsmith thus makes mention
of the hawtOrn
The hawthorn bush With seats beneath
the shade,
For talking age, and whispering lovers
made"
In both France and England, a gar
land of white roses is a favorlte adorn-
ment of the bride. The disposition to
couuettishness and coyness, with the
people of the former country, appears
I'm the sentiment. Il would be free
with which the white rose is invested:
while it is well known that the sweet
ness of heing wooed, makes many a
maiden assume a hardness to be won.
AS the ''Queen of Flowers" it is meet
that Love should crown with a garland
Of roses. the maiden at her bridal, who
thus finds her image enthfoned IN a
heart which has singled her out from
all the universe, as the n prime b
iect of its earthly alteration. The rose
is common to all the countries on the
globe, poets of all chimes and races,
have sung of its beauty and its fra
GRANGE, and among the glorious sister
hood Of HprarC If iC tho one diStIp-
guished favori e. The poetic tradition
is that all roses were once white: Her
rick thus accounts for the red
IT'S said as Cupid danced among the gods, he
down the Nectar dung.
Which on the white rose being she'd, made it
forever after red
Moore, in his Irish Melodies, says:
They tell US that Love III his fairy bower.
Had two blush roses of truth divine
lie sprinkled one with Il rainbOw'S shower.
But bathcd the other with mantiing wine.
soon did the buds that drank the floods
Distilled 10y the rain! ow. decline and fade !;
While those which the tide of ruby had dyed.
All bluShed into beauty. like thee, sweet
maid
the probability suggesting itself to the
mind, that had the maiden, whom the
poet complimented, been pale and fair,
instead OF the ruddy type Of beauty,
his verses would have run differently.
The existence of the star Jasmine in
the East, and the favor in which it is
there held, warrants us in supposing
it may first have had place in the
bridal adprnment. among the people
of Eastern countries or at least, III
the times since the a~doptionOf white
as the livery of the bride. The en-
blem, You bear a gentle mind is
! full of meanlng-no man, in his sober
{ wisdom, being vii ing to wed a shrew.
| AS far as We informed, the adoption
t of the lily of-the-valley as d bridal
: blossom, is purely American, and di-
rected, as We suppose, by the favorIt-
ism which attaches to this delicious
5 and modest little woodling of our ma
tive forests. Very young American
: brides. like too, in the floral pa1ure
a an intermingling of apple blossoms
1 and the emblem of the apple blossom
4 being "Prelerence,' it is not an un,
4 meet adornment for the BRIDE, ever
t though its petals are d~elicately tingeC
a with rose color.-Flouer Guide.