Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-29

lust at the right time and sending out O
wealth of blossom in a wealth of color.
Ateyery opening of the florists doors q
gust Of delicious fragrance came out to
! greet tho stray purchasers and gave them
a gentle reminder, which they needed in
coming in from the wIntry weather, that
! this is the season TO buy flowers for the
church and for the dear ones at home. The
| windows with their loads of roses and vio-
lets, hyacinths. and lilies seconded the
: invitation.
THE favorite flowers to be worn on
Sunday will be roses, vlolets. and jonquils.
Every variety of roses has been brought
in for Easter, and their price ranges from
81 to SO dozen. In pink roses there are
the pale Catharine Mermet, the deeper La
France. and the pinkest of the pink Ameri-
can Beauties. and Magma Charta roses
almost as large as young cabbages. There
are the bride roses, with great satln-white
petals: the delicate Nephetos, and the yell
low pearls and Marechal Niels of the same
shade, differing only in size and price.
Even the deep-red lacqueminots are seen,
velvet-petalled and fragrant. Dark and
light-purple violets, whose modest beauty
and fresh outdoor kind of fragrance are
never overshadowed by the more brilliant
flowers, are in great demand. The jon
ouils. single and double, are unusually
pretty, and their bright yellow flowers will
make gay bit of color on many stylish
street costume.
FOR DECORATION AND EosEGAYs.
"a great number of potted flowers will
be given as Easter remembrances to deco
rate the house, table, aid windows. or
make fragrant nosegay in hospitals and
the sick-room. Among the flowers that
Will be used in this way or as decorations
in churches. in pots or cut, are lilies of the
valley hyacnths in purple, lavender, red,
white, yellow, and pink, cultivated to re-
marka6le perfection Ill size and color;
great double tulips, in pink, red. yellow,
and striped varieties; purple and lavender
lilacs; hydrangas, with colossal punches
of blossoms in pink and white; Easter and
Gala lilies; waxen azaleas, in white and
deep pink; feathery-wbite deutZia and
astilba japonica; cyclamen, with its or
chid-like blossoms in red and pink hello
trope, mignonette, primula obconica, the
innocent-looking little plant with lavender
blossoms, in whose foliage Turks poison
that makes the hands burn and smart ut
the touch.
"A new flower that makes its first APP
pearance this Easter is the ge7liStd cdndri-
ences which has not received nickname
vet. IL has bright. canary-colored blossoms,
very tiny, but clustering thickly on the
thick foliage. IL is thought that the plant
purposes.
besides the orders for flowers in the
city, there will be o great many boxes OF
cut flowers sent TO other cities as Easter
gifts. Florists have formed sort of syndi-
cate, with one or more members in every
large city In the Union, so that those de-
siring TO send flowers to distant places can
leave their orders with home florist. who
communicates by telegram with another
in the city IN which the flowers are de-
livered, and thus the flowers reach their
destination in short time and are fresh
and new.'
EAsTER-cARDs.
A few Easter-cards have been used this
wear, and these have usually been of un-
pretentious though tasteful designs. and
generally copies of delicately-tinted water
color landscapes or ideal studies. While
the custom of sending them IS not so much
in vogue now as it was in former days, yet
such remembrances are always pleasant
and complimentary.
The Easter novelties OF this year have
been neither numerous nor striking, al
though the crockery stores have had some
very pretty little TOYS for children. Among
tho most unique of the China ornaments
tor the season is a small skull, made egg
shaped, and about the size of the gallina-
ceous production, which, though CHASTITY
and realistic in the extreme is. neyerthe-
loss, very striking.
THE RABBIT BEATS THE ROOSTER.
The usual number of china and plaster
of-Paris rabbits are also TO DO seen IN the
confectionery stores. and some Of the
"bunnies," as thev sit upon their hind
DAVIS. are three or four feet high. There IS
a time-honored tradition, handed down by
the Germans, that rabbits lay eggs during
the Easter holidays. and the belief natu-
tally raises the question, at what season
will the American rooster also get an op-
portunlty to distinguish itself!
After all. despite the feelings of pride
which the girls feel in their new bonnets
and flowers, mono derive SO much happi-
ness from Easter as the little ones. and
with them the season IS ever to be remem-
bored on account of the gayly-coiored eggs
which are prepared in almost every house
where childhood lights the household.
Everyone can recall the days when they
were children and delighted in Baster-eggs,
and the quaint custom, handed down from
centuries of the past, has delighted many
childish heart.
HOW TIE CUSTOM ORIGINATED.
There has been q great deal of contro-
yersy regarding the use of Easter-eggs, but
the following information upon the sub
iect, from Fugitive Facts" Is the explana-
ton accepted generally:
"In some of the moorland parts OF Scot
land IL used to DO custom for young peo-
MIA 10 go out early on Pasch-Sunday and
search for wild-fowl eggs for breakfast, and
IL was considered lucky to find them.
There can be but little doubt that the use
of eggs at this season was originally SYM
bolicai OF the reviyifcation of nature, the
springing forth OF life in spring. From the
Christian point of view this feast Of eggs
has been usually considered as emblematic
of the resurrection and OF future hfe.
The custom is not confined to Christians,
ga fine Jews used eggs in the Feast of the
Passover, and we are told that the Persians
when they keep the festival OF the solar
new year, In March, mutually present each
other with colored eggs"
NnruIrc 90 EIcliIMQ