National Republican., 1883-08-23
HIRED orr FLuwElss.

bouquets that do Service Many Times in
Many Thcaters--M,ss Sarah Jcwetrs
Love for ViOIets.
Two or three years ago in the academy Of
music, says tho New York JouraaL II huge
bouquet had gone down to Mmo. d. Swift
Dotti. In receiving it she made an awkward
movement and tho big flower fell ovor aud
was pretty badly smashed.
"Fll make her pay ior that the florist ex-
claimed, evidently In great anger.
"Why," he was asked, hasn't it been paid
for already"
He looked around rather alarmed and
walked off. The bouquet had boen hired for
the occasion, but there was no insurance on
it and Nine. Dotti was evidently to be made
responsible for damages to it.
The same flower piece had done duty three
nights in succession for as many different
actresses in rs many different theaters, and
perhaps after all it was pulled to pieces and
made to do duty for some marriage party.
Nine Patti was ever kind to the flowers
she received and TO those who sent them.
There were nights last season whom $500,
5000, and $1,000 worth of flowers were sent
across the footlights to the greatest of prima
dOnnas. What was she to do with them
When sho had loaded her carriage down and
loft tho place only for herself and Nicolini
her attending physician told her that she
must not have flowers in such profuiion in
her room at the Windsor. He advised her of
their deadly effect when fading in bouquets,
and Patti, who has n splendid love for life,
quickly determined TO bring home no more.
What tnen, again, was to be done with them?
The curious spectacle would present itself
of lot of half ragged chorus singers going
home of night bearing flower pieces that
singly cost more than their individual sala-
ries for one or two weeks Patti would invite
her favorites into her dressing room and tell
them to choose for themselves, and away they
would go loaded down with the most costly
emblems and not altogether proof against
Hofheimer's insinuations and wiles. At any
rate many of those bouquets would mysteri
ously find their way to Hofheimer's stores,
and the next day, in slightly altered shape,
adorn, perhaps, some aristocratic banquet.
Two or three years the wax flower dodge
was tried across the footlights. They looked
SO natural that everybody was deceived, but
it was found that it did not pay to hire them
out. They were too fragile and broke to
pieces at touch. They were abandoned, and
natural flowers did their office once more.
A few years ago, when Miss Sarah Jewett
was younger, and the unquestioned leading
lady Of the Union Square theater, a mys-
terious admirer arose of q sudden and tes-
titled to his admiration in flowers. In
other words, every night there came across
the footlights huge bouquet of violets
and it would be handed to Miss Jewett,
who always received it with unfeigned
surprise and modest joy. Great was the
interest among the members of the company
as to who the mysterious stranger could be
Miss Jewett, while shifting her lovely bouquet
and showing it to the other ladies of the COM
pany with commendable pride, but, to their
own intense chagrin and mere counterfeited
pleasure, would exclaim, do wonder who it
can be !" and express in other ways the most
intense longing to know who this preux
chevalier could be.
This continued for some time.
One night an urchin called at the stage
door and demanded urgently to sec Miss
Jewett. She could not see him, for she was
on the stage, and he waited. But he grew
moro impatient, and finally said to the jani-
tor:
81 must see Miss Jowett."
"Well you can't see her to- o-night," replied
the janitor.
"Then you will go in and tell her that I'm
sent round to tell her that we tried all over
to get violets and can't, and is there any other
flower she will take. 1t is past the time now
that she ought to get her bouquet"
Needless to say that no moro bouquets
came across the footlights to the vestal of
Union Square. And when the story got
round, for the janitor didn't keep 1T to him
self an hour, the square laughed over it for
month.