Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-06
FLOWERS AND EMBLEMS.
THEIR HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL
SfGNIFlCANCES

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The violet That "win Return in the
sprins'-The German Emperor and the
Blue Cornfower-How the Plantagenets
Secured Their Names.
The violet was chosen BY the adhsrents Of
Napoleon as their badge during his exile in
Eiba dslAl5 Meeting stranger, one
would ask "Almez-vous Ia violetter' do
you love the violete An ignorant person
might answer simply, "Oui" (Yesl But
one in the secret would add, "Bien.' twellD
and would receive the countersign, Ellie
reviendra au printemps" ct viii return in
the spring.
From the time of his Departure Napoleon
was toasted as Corp. or Gen. Violet His
friends wore rings and ribbons of violet color.
A popular design was group of violets 50
drawn that practiced eve could discover liz
two large ones the ikenesses of Napoleon ana
Marie Louise, while a srnallss one displayed
the features of their son, ''the King of Rome"
After the battle of Waterloo the wearing Of
violets was considered REASONABLE 1t has
been well said Of the flower that, .'springing
in obscurity, and retaining its perfume in
death, it vas wonderful emblem of him
who rose from the valleys Of Corsica to the
throne Of the golden lilies, and whose name
has been spell of power long after he ceased
to breathe the air Of earth"
THE MOTHER AND THE coRNFLOwER
The fondness of the late Emperor William
Of Germany for the blue cornhorer has
caused it to bt commonly known by the
name of Kaiserblume the Emperoris fiower).
1t was associated with tender memories of his
noble mother, Louisa OF Prussia. Her
enemy, Napoleon, expressed his opinion of
her talents when he characterized her as '.ths
only man in the family and said on hearing
the news of her death: THE King of
Prussia has lost his best minister" When
fleeing to Mernel with her children after tbs
battle OF Jena, an accident to the carriage
obliged them TO wait awhile by the roadside.
To divert the tired and hungry children from
the thoughts of their discomfort, she set then,
to gathering the corntiowers and made gar
lands to decorate their heads, singing the
while old ballads and telling stories IL was
q scene which William never forgot and that
was proud day when he nun1bled the power
of the country from which size had endured
SO much: and the old monarch in the glories
Of his triumph was heard To murnur: My
mother, thou art avenged
Long ago, when sJIrnenles were rare and
changing, the naughty family OF Plantagenet
tooA their name from the broom, plante-de-
genet. 1t is said that Ole of the early counts
of Anjou did penance by receiving a severe
fagellatio1, and adopted for his badge the
broom plant from which the whips were
made that thus he might be ever reminded
OF the punishment which is sure to follow sin.
We have the choice OF adopting more pleas
ant story-that GeofTrey, of Aniou, the nus
band of Dame Maud daughter OF Henry
I of England, when climbing a steep pass
was much impressed by the sight of the
broom plants cinging to the stones. ''See,n
cried he, that golden lowered plant, so
firmly rooted among the rocks, and giving
support to the SOIL That humble flower
shall henceforth be my cognizance"
ROSE, THISTLE AND SHAMROCK
Nations, as well az individuals, have had
their emblem flowers. The rose was CEN
turies ago the chosen flower of England, and
the white and the red were the badges OF the
two rival branchesof the Plantageuet family,
the houses of York and Lancaster At the
time of the happy union of their claims in
the marriage Of Henry of Richmond with
Elizabeth of York it is said that rose Of
mingled colors sprang miraculously into
being; it combined the hues Of the bleeding
rose' Of one race and 'the pale and maiden
blossom" of the other. Such rose is still in
existence, and is known DIS the York and
Lancaster rosen
ScotlaIds national flower the thistle, bears
the proud motto whose truth her foes have
often proved, Memo me impune lacessit (No
one Injuries me with impunity). Tradition
tells us the emblem was chesen in memory of
Its service long ago during an invasion of the
Danes. They cad planned a night attack,
and as they stole in the darkness toward the
Scottish camp one of them inadvertently
stepped upon thistle. Losing command of
himself, he uttered a cry Of pain This
aroused the sleeping Scots, who sprung to
arms and routed the enemy
Old legends tell US that ST. Patrick. finding
it hard to convince his hearers concerning the
doctrine Of the Trinity, gathered a trefoil, and
took the threefoid leaf as an illustration
wherefore the supernatural power attributed
to a threefold leaf and hence the adoption Of
the national embe-a:
Chosen leaf
OF bard and chief
Old Erin S native she nrock
tJnrra,ic Ea-c-