The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-03-09
The Resurrection Flower.
STORIES THAT ARE TOLD OF THIS NATURAL l.
WONDER

Travelers in Egypt, who profess to
have seen the. genuine resurrection
flower, describe it as little ball hang
ing on its fragile stem, and resembling
both in color and shape a shrunken
poppy head. Sleeping, but not dead,
the flower is aroused by being for an
instant immersed in water and then
supported 10 an upright position. Soon
the upper fbers begin to stir. Slowly
yet visibly, they unfold, until, with
petals thrown back in equidistant or
der, it assumes the appearance of
beautifully radiated, starry flower, not
unlike some of the asters in form.
Resting moment, it suddenly, as
though inspired by some new impulse,
throws its very heart to the daylight,
curving back it's petals farther still and
disclosing beauties undreamed of even
in Its first awakening.
To say that. in general effect, its
appearance resembles the passion dow-
er, is to give but q poor description,
and yet one searches in vain for more
fitting comparison. Lacking entirely
the strong contrasts in color of the
latter, it yet wears halo of its own,
unlike any other in the whole range of
floral effects.
When viewed through a powerful
lens, one traveller claims the heart of
the flower, which to the naked eye, lies
flooded in a warm, colorless light, as
sumes the most exquisite iridescent
hues, far more beautiful than the de-
fined tints Of the passion flower Melt.
ing to the eye in its pure outline and
rounded finish, it bears the same rela-
ton to that chosen type of the great
Suffering, that peace bears to passion,
or that promise bears TO prayer. '.i
Soon the aspect of the flower chang
es. As though over the we'll spring of
its eternal life hangs some ruthless
power forcing it back into darkness,
before an hour has passed, we can
see that its newly found vigor is
fading away. The pulsing light at
Is heart grows fainter and fainter
slowly the petals raise themselves, to
drop wearily side by side upon its bos-
om-snd finally, its beauty vanished,
its strength exhausted, it hangs heavy
and brown upon its stem, waiting for
the touch that alone can waken it
again.
This rare botanic wonder, blooming
one moment before admirIng eyes, and
next lying dried and shriveled, is not
without its Legendary interest, though
the odor of its oriental history has, by
this time, been nearly blown away by
that sharp simoom of investigation,
which has already whirled so many
pretty fables and theories into oblivion.
The story of the resurrection flower,
as given in 1856 by the late DR.. Deck,
the naturalist, is as follows: l'','''''
While travelling on a professional
tour in Upper Egypt, eight years be-
fore, engaged in exploring for some
lost emerald and copper mines, he
chanced to render medical service to an
Arab attached to his party. In graft
tude the child of the desert formally
presented to him this now called ''Res-
direction Flower" at the same time en-
joining him never to part with it. Like
the tabled gift of the Egyptian, it was
supposed to have "magic in the web of
it" The doctor was solemnly assured
by the Arab and others of his race that
it had been taken ten years before
from the breast of an Egyptian mummy,
high priestess, and was deemed a
great rarity that it would never decay
if properly cared for that its possess
ion through life would tend to revive
hope in adversity, and, if buried with
its owner, would insure for him here
after all the snjoyments of the Seventh
Heaven of Mohammed. When pre-
sen ed this was one of two hanging
upon the same stem. DIR. Deck care
fully preserved one. The twin speci-
men he presented to Baron Humboldt,
who acknowledged it to be TIE great.
est floral wonder yet seen and the only
one he had met with in the course OF
his extensive travels.
| For years the doctor carried his
treasure with him everywhere, prizing
it for its intrinsic qualities and invari
ably awakening the deepest interes,
wheneve- he chanced to display its
wondrous powers. During the remain
der Of his life, it is claimed, he caused
the flower to open many times, with.
out causing any diminution of its mar
velous property OF any injury whatever