The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-07-08
OF the famous De Corona derived its
rugged force from the aro,,n ont IF oon


rugged force from the argument of con-
gruity; the use of wreaths was mani
testify violation of the intentions of
nature, because the organs provided to
convey to the soul of man the special
enjoyment attached to the divine gift
of flowers, which were the peculiar or
at least principal material of wreaths,
are the organs of sight and smell.
With sight and smell then, he saws.
make use of flowers, for these are the
senses by which they are to be enjoyed;
use them by means Of the eyes and
nose, which are the members to which
these senses belong. You have got the
thing from God, the mode of it from
the world; but an extraordinary mode
does not prevent the use of the thing in
the common way. Let flowers, then.
both when fastened into each other and
tied together with thread and rush, be
what they are when free, when loose
things to be looked at and smelt. You
count it a crown, let us say, when YOU
have a bunch of them bound together
in series, that you may enjoy them
all at once. Well, then, lay them in
your bosom if they are so singularly
pure, and strew them on your couch if
they are so exquisitely soft, and consien
them to your cup if they are so per-
fectly harmless. Have the pleasure of
them in as many ways as they appeal
to your senses. But what taste for a
flower, what sense for anything belong
ing to a crown but its band, have YOU
in the head, which is able neither to
distinguish color nor to inhale sweet
perfumes, nor to appreciate softness?
1t IS as much against nature to long
after a flower with the head as it IS
to crave food with the fear, or sound
with the nostril. But everything which
is against nature deserves to he BRAIDED
as monstrous among all men, but with
us it is to be condemned also as Il sacri-
ledge against God the Lord and Creator
of nature. He did not object to flowers
being placed in the bosom, scattered on
the couch, dropped in the cup, though
all these uses more than trod upon the
heels of heather luxury, because, iudg-
| ing between things agreeable to reason
and things opposed to it, they came
under the former category. Singularly
enough, he quite overlooks the refer
ence in wisdom Isaiah to festal wreaths,
and concludes that the people of God
never INDUCED in the use of them.
either on the occasion of public rejoic-
ing Or to crafty criminal luxury. $50
they returned from Babylonish captiv-
ity with timbrels, and flutes, and psal
teries more suitable than with crowns;
and after eating and drinking uncrown-
ed they rose up to play. For neither
would the account Of the rejoicing nor
the exposure of the luxury have been
silent touching the honor or dishonor Of
the crown" But when ''uncrowned
they rose up to play, the Isaiah" he
continues, with timbrels, and psalter-
les, and flutes, they drank wine," vice
had ever had place in the things of God.
Clement, Of Alexandra, likewise de-
claimed against the unftness of setting
| crowns of flowers above the organs of
sight and smell: "Do not encircle my
head with a crown, for in spring-time it
is delightful to while away the time on
the dewy meads, while soft and many
colored flowers are in bloom, and, like
the bees, enjoy natural and pure fra
GRANGE. But to adorn ones self with
crown woven from the fresh mead, and
wear it at home were unfit for man of
temperance. For it is not suitable to
fill the wanton hair with rose-leaves, or
violets, or lilies or other such flowers;
stripping the sward of it's flowers. X
Besides, those who crown themselves
destroy the pleasure there is in flowers;
for they enjoy neither the sight of them;
since they wear the crown above their
eyes, nor their fragrance, since they
put the flowers away above the organs
of respiration AS beauty, so
also the flower delights when looked at,
an: ana it is meet to g1orify the Creator by
objects.