The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-03-30
The RESURRECTION FLOWER.
Stories That Are Told of This Natural
Wonder,


Stories That Are Told of This Natural
Wonder.
Travellers in Egypt, who profess to have
seen the genuine resurrection flower, describe
it as little ball hanging 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 sup
ported in an upright position. Soon the
upper fbers 3egin to stir Slowly, yet Wis
IDLY, they unfold, until, with petals thrown
back in equidistant order, it assumes the ap-
pearance of a beautifully radiated, starry
flower, not unlike some of the asters in form.
Resting a moment, it suddenly, as though
inspired by some new impulse, throws its
very heart to the daylight, curving back its
petals farther still and disclosing beauties
undreamed of even in the loveliness of its
first awakening.
To say that, in general effect, its appear
ance resembles the passion flower, is to give
but poor description, and yet one searches
in vain for a more fitting comparison. Lack
ing entirely the strong contrasts in color of
the latter, it yet wears a halo of its own, un-
like any other in the whole range of floral eff
fects.
When viewed through powerful lens, one
traveller claims the heart of the flower,
which, to the naked eye, lies flooded in a
warm, colorless light, assumes the most ex-
quisite iridescent hues, far more beautiful
than the defined tints of the passion flower.
Melting to the eye in its juiciness and deli
cacy, yet firm in its pure outline and
rounded finish, it bears the same relation to
that chosen type Of the great Suffering, that
peace bears to passion, or that promise bears
to prayer.
Soon the aspect of the flower changes. As
though over the well 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 its heart grows
fainter and fainter-slowly the petals raise
themselves, to drop YEARLY side by side upon
its bosom-and 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 botanical wonder, blooming one
moment before admiring eyes, and next lying
dried and shriveled, is not without its legend
airy interest, though the odor of its oriental
history has, by this time, been neary 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:
While travelling on a professional tour In
Upper Egypt, eight years before, engaged in
exploring for some lost emerald and copper
mines, he CHANGED to render medical service
to an Arab attached to his party. In graft.
tude the child of the desert formally pre-
sented to him this now called Resurrection
Flower" at the same time enjoining 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 be-
fore from the breast of an Egyptian mummy,
q high priestess, and was deemed a great
rarity; that it would never decay if properly
cared for; that its possession through life
would tend to revive hope.in adversely, and,
If buried with its owner, would insure for
him hereafter all the enjoyments of the
Seventh Heaven of Mohammed When ore
sented, this flower was one of two hanging
upon the same stem. DR.. Deck carefully pre-
served one. The twin specimen he presented
TO Baron Humboldt, who acknowledged it to
be the greatest 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, pricing it for its iI-
trinsic qualities and invariably awakening
the deepest interest whenever he CHANGED to
display its wondrous powers. During the
remainder of his life, it is claimed, he caused
the flower to open many times, without caus-
ing any diminution Of its marvellous property
or any injury whatever to it.