San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-09-12
THE LOVELY VIOLET.
FACTS AND FANclEs ABOUT THE
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FLOWER.

FACTS AND FANclEs ABOUT THE
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FLOWER.
The Poets Know More Than the sessssases
Of Such rhings-shahsspsars's nssss.
snos TO the vioist-Ths supsrssitiess e
Sfedisvai Times.
According to tho scientists, who are
duh sort Of folk, however, and who love
to hido their ignorance behind long
namcs Of learned sound, the violet b
genus Of exogenous herbs Of the order
Violacoo and is q native Of the northern
temperate zone But tho poets know
great deal moro than the scientists, Tor
they wero born before them and VIII
survive them. and tho poets tell ~ Ill
about the creation Of this fragrant flower.
Whom Jupiter was In love with 10 and
changed her into heller. deeming that
common grass and flowers were no a.
diet for sweetheart Of tho king Of gods,
he created the violet that sho might feed
upon Its dainty petalA And. II q added,
when 10 died violets sprang from her
body. Shakespeare alludes 10 this old
tradition when he says'
Lay her the sarth
And from her fair and unpollutsd Och
Nay violets spring
The Greek name for violet was Ion, and
possibly because that suggested Iouia,
whence the Athenians were fsbled 10
havo sprung. the flower was . great "a
vorite with the Athenians, who adopted
II as their badge and loved to weave u
into the chaplcts which they wore q
banquets. thinking, indeed. that Il was o
guardian against drunkenness
Alcibiades went to Agathos crowned
with Ivy and violeta The only lines
that have survived from Alceus' ode TO
6appho begin by addressing her ~
"Violet crowned, pure, sweetly smiling
Sappho." The Athenian orators, whom
striving to win tho favor and attention
Of the people, were wont to address them
as "Athenians, crowned with violetsi'
Among the Romans also the violet was
highly esteemed Ovid. In speaking Of
the ancient sacrifices and contrasting
their noblo simplicity with the garish
display Of more degenerate times, says
that "if there was any ono who could
add violets to the chaplets wrought from
lowers Of the meadow no was rich
man." And Virgil, to emphasize the
lesolation Of nature mourning tho death
II Daphnis, speaks Of the violet as re-
placed by the thistle.
THE VIM Ut TN rrru m or
In tho cast the violet had q great repu-
sation among those races whose religions
were rather emotional than mystical.
The Arabian poets. like their brother
,ards Of other climes, bade tho wealthy
md naughty learn humility from this
owly wayside preacher. Il was favor.
to flower with Mohammed, and hence
las acquired peculiar sanctity In Mos
EN- countries. "Asmy religion Il above
'thers," quoth the prophet, $50 Il the ex-
'ellence Of the odor Of violets above
'ther odorA 1t Is as warmth In winter
md GOODNESS In midsummer"
Il Is likely that II was from some long
foreground Of popular homage that the
'iolet became the badge Of the medimval
as In the poetical contests Of
'oulouse, where the prize was golden
iolet Clemence Isaure places the vio-
Of among the flowers with which victors
n the gal science were crowned.
The superstition still survives In widely
countries that TO dream Of tho
toilet is good luck. In Brandenburg
nd Silesia 1t Is held a specific against
he ague. In Thuringia It is a charm
gainst the black art. In many parts Of
ural Germany the custom is still OBJ
erved Of decking the bridal bed and the
radles Of young girls with this flower,
custom known to have been In use
mong the Kelts as well as among the
|reeks.
No one, indeed, names the flower but
, praise Il; no one uses It but for some
retty. useful or poetical purpose. Its
opularity is highly creditable to human
ature. Except that In some regions Of
10 east II has been used to flavor sher-
cts. and that In Scotland II has been
used as Q cosmetic. II has
cen universally cherished only for its
lodesty and Its beauty and its delicate
agrance.
CoRPoRAL La vIoLETTk
In modern France the flower has been
iopted as the emblem Of the Bonaparte
Imily. Corporal Ia violette" or "Papa
violette" was tho title bestowed BY his
artisans upon the FIRST Napoleon after
8 Punishment 70 Elba-signi6cativs Of
eir confidence that he would return
,ain In the spring.
Early In January. 1915, Q number OF
'lored engravings made their appear
ICE In Paris representing q violet In
II bloom, with tho leaves 90 arranged
to form the profile OF Napoleon. Un-
rneath was this significant motto. 'n
avea le printemps. The phrase
came an imperial toast, and the flower
ID color were worn as n party distinc-
IN. And, In fact, the sentiment was
allied When March 20. 1915, saw Ma
leon enter the Tuilleries, after his escape
pm Elba, he found the grand staircase
led with ladies. who nearly smothered
m with violets.
On the death Of the king Of Rome very
city devices In violets were made
owing on the edge OF the petals pro-
. Of the members Of the Bonaparts
nily, each profile forming the outer
&c Of the petal looking at the flower
leaving the face vhitA
On the death Of Napoleon III, also. The
Iitors 10 Chiseihurst wore OF carried
re bunches of violstA New York
raid
The wheat yield in the Northwest
beyond expectations
A frea brid0a oxar the Gsxsnn.h A