The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-02-10

renaissance through the aesthetic poetlcai
genius of Oscar Wilde, has been productive
in reyiving former appreciations Of the su-
bIime virtues of the sunflower. A half a
century AGO American negro minstrals sang
soul-stirring songs about the sunflower, and
about that time the great Irish poet, Tom
Moore, embalmed the virtue of that gorgeous
posey in one of his most sentimental ballads,
the last two lines of which read thus
Gas the sunhower turns on its god when he
sets.
The same look that it gave when he rose. -
1t may not be generally known, that the
sunfiower while it faces the rising god of the
day turns with him to his setting. This we
are told by flower culturlists to be true
that the sunlower, peculiarly differently
from all other specimens of the floral king
dom, turns to the setting sun. To show the
devotion of one true loving heart for another,
Tom Moore took the sunfower for the en-
blem in one of his finest sentimental effu-
sions:
"Believe me, if all these endearing young
charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
Should fade by to morrow and flee from my
arms
Like fairy gifts fading away
Thou wOuldst then be adored, as now truly
thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will.
And around the dear ruin each wish Of my
heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still"
"For the heart that once truly loves never
forgets,
But most fondly loves on to the close,
As the sunfiower turns on its god when he
sets
The same look that it gave when he rose. -
The aesthetic Oscar Wilde, am highly
pleased to discover, has caused a great revi-
val Of long lost appreciation Of the sun
flower am beginning to appreciate Oscar.
I am learning to admire him even if his real
name is O'Flaherty, and If he does have
"sawdust calves" Every day Increases my
admiration for him. Indeed he has placed me
under great obligations to him. He has re-
minded me Of Younger, happier days, when
I used to be delighted with the singing Of the
inspiring aesthetic negro song, ''As happy
as a big sunflower," and the singing of
Moore's sentimental sun1ower song. These
dear old sunfower songs are now fondly re-
membered. As I write I almost imagine
that hear q dear one singing in the sweet
est strain
Believe me, il all these endearing young
charms"
[ am now fully convinced that the charge
that Mr. Wilde was sailing under false col
ors and that his real name is O'Flaherty, is a
base sIander. am now firm in my convic-
ton that Oscar Wilde is his true name, and
that he is a real nice aesthetic young man
a gentleman that Aunt Jane Swisshelm
would call ga pinks-sweet-williams young
man" Since Oscars visit to Philadelphia
there has been great tendency towards the
aesthetic. Immediately after his appearance
here an aesthetic Philadelphia nlOdista in
formed the aesthetic citizens by aesthetic
cards that she was prepared to make "aes
thetic English gowns and frocls to order, -
and already our best society people are wear
ing costumes of various cOlOred silks and
satins, hand painted with sunfowels. lilies,
daisies and pOppies. There is in Philadel-
phia to-day almost an exclusive use of sun
flower. It makes me feel call overy'' good
to see the positive evidence Of Oscar Wnde's
poetic genius having revived the sublime
I qualities which in my bovhood days were at
tached to the sunflOwer. feel profoundly
/ grateful to Oscar. am overwhelmed will
thankfulness, so much so that know not II
( what fitting phrase or figure Of speech to ex
( press to him my thanks. I have not com
I mand Of language sufficient to express my
feelings and give proper thanks to that great
aesthetic poet-that fair Poesies annointed
( ] know not what TO say OF how TO say #.
/ can now only use the entirely inadequate
I and too common expression, 'I thank you
Aesthetic chylde, Oscar Wilde, 7 thank you
/ Through your aesthetic poedcal genius, En-
/ glish renaissance has revived the sublime
+ qualities which were once attached to tha
( posy Of all posies-the sun6ower. I can a
/ this time recall with great pleasure the de
light it afforded sixty years ago to listen t,
/ the inspiring song, 'I'm as happy rs a hi.
| sunfi0wer." G. n. S.