Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-03
FLO WERA FOR THE SICK
The Varieties That are Rav0ritoo With
InvRlids-The Work Of the Flower Mis-.
sion.


The ladies OF the st. Dorothss flower mis-
| sion are extending their work beyond the
hospitals and are visiting poor tnvalids 1t
| their homes They bring fresh flowers into
the sick room. A STAR reporter called on
one Of the most active ladies Of the mis-.
sion the other evening to tsak about dow-
ers and sick folks. some people have an
| idea that 1t Is the province OF all charitable
missions to deal in facts; cut, dried, and WE'LL
cured facts, or preserved facts, such as OF sweets
and jellies, aud corn starch or custard; or
manufactured and we'll worn facts, i'll the way
of old clothes. The flower mission act upon
the idea that the other senses not controlled by
the palate need some food TO live upon, and
the appreciation with which their work is re-
ceiyed by the sick goes to show that they are
right. During the short time they have been
at work they have distributed about thousand
bouquets among the sick in the hospitals and In
the humble home. Everywhere they have
gone they have been received with smiles and
blessings, and each coming has been looked
forward TO by the weary iDValids. Some of the
SICK rooms they have visited have been SICK
looms Tor twenty years, and oil that time the
the green helds and fresh flowers. To these the
gifts oil the Hover mission are better than any
delicacy the cook Or the coniectioner can de-
wise,
FLOWERS THAT ARE LIKED BEST.
The flowers with delicate odor are liked
best, except at tine Freedman's hospital There
1t is the color that tells. 1t Is the eye Of the
sick folks there that is delighted with the gay
tor as much there. Generally inralids like The
gentle fragrance. The rose is q favOrite Hover.
The vioer and lilac when in season were re-
pansy and all the hot-house flowers thai are
generally popular find favor with the sick. The
nowers that grow in nearly every well-kept
front-door yard all during the summer are what
the sick like to see, and the flower mission
earnestly solicit everybody having such u gar
at the Young Mems Christian Association
building every Thursday, when the ladies will
! be there to receive them. No flower is too
humble, and nearly everybody who has u door
yard with vines or flowers in ii could send some
flowers to the sick. AT present the people who
make business OF dealing in flowers are de-
pended upon chiefly by the mission. They have
Deen giving most generously. The ladies are
thinking, too, OF calling upon members Oi Con-
gress to give some OF the flowers sent them from
sick.
FIELD DAISIES.
They are asking the children, also, to 60 out
into the fields and gather daisies. The daisies
| are very much liked in the sick room. They
are associated with the country, and there Is
something cheerful about them. Every Thurs
day the ladies and young girls take out their
loads OF blossoms and some one is at the rooms
until two O'Clock in the afternoon. A number
OF boxes have been put up in public places with
an invitation to put money Into them Tor the
oeneht OF TINS charity: One OF these was put
\
ball, but it mas frequently been raided and the
| lock broken OF.
One OF the difficulties met with is in getting
people generally TO send In flowers. The ladies OF
the mission have an average Oi about TWEEN sick
| people outside of the hospitals 10 visit each
week, and In their rounds they frequently tind
cases that appeal To them TOR other acts OF
charity.
CARING FOR THE LITTLE ONES.
| AT one hospital, for instance, they found a
sick woman who had family of little chill
tl,ay,,
the father who had to be away all day at work
| to earn living for them. The ladies of tho
mission looked after this family and kept them
comfortable until the mother was able to come
home again. Msny similar cases occur. Free
Quently they find cases OF necessity that other
! wise would never be known. Carrying flowers
| they can go where they could not bearing aims
! unsolicited. The officers Of the mission have
| seut out notices TO the reciOrs OF the various
churches, asking that some lady OF tue congre.
CATION he asked to act warden for the mis-
sion, to inform them where they can do good
| III each parish. Five parishes are now repre-
| senJed by wardens and they want 10 have .
warden IN every church.