The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-09-25
A FEW SUGGESTIONS.
BY MARJORIE MARCH.

many of you have pressed some of the
beautiful flowers and leaves that the
summer gave us in such profusion, to
lay by against the time of need J.? And
the time of need is on some stormy win
ter day when you are shut in, and
''things have gone cOntrariwise," is it
not ? Then your eye lights on card
from a friend. 1t has only pressed
pansy for adornment, and underneath
you read the legend, "a bit of summer
comforted, thinking that some one has
brought sunshine into this stormy day.
And can we not, figuratively speaking,
lay by much store of sunshine for the
stormy days? If we can bring even a
little light into the lives of those who
sit in darkness, it is worth while. And
so small thing as a flower has brough t
comfort to many weary soul. Do you
recall the lines
"Small service is true service while it lasts.
Ofhumbest friends, bright creatures scorn not
one;
The daisy By the shadow that Il casts
Protects the lingering dew.drop from the sum-"
But the daisy has gone by, and "the
purple aster and golden-rod" will not
cast shadow much longer. If any of
us have failed to preserve leaf or
flower from all the lavishness bestowed
on us let us gather them quickly while
we may" Who that loves flowers
would not be pleased to find, on open
ing letter on some clustering February
day, half dozen nicely pressed pansies
and some ferns 5?
And how many of you my friends, have
a sort of floral album to contain leaves
and flowers multitudinous, from various
sources? This album may be very
simple affair-a few sheets of drawing
paper, or any paper you choose, folded
into the form desired, and you have a
book for the preservation of many a
souvenir of happy hours.
Perhaps you go out riding with a
friend on some particularly lovely morn
ing. She espies by the wayside what
you have looked for in vain, that "lusuS
nature" the four-leaf clover. OF course
she presents this one to you with some
remark. You stow away the observa-
ton in your memory, and the clover
Carefully in your pocket, and when,
later, your eye falls on this memento
fastened in your album land of course
duly marked with the date Of dis
covery," etc.,, that scene rises wildly
before you, and you are glad to have the
small outward token of the inward de-
light you experienced during that pleas
ant drive. You may have many leaves
from similar experiences, and to these
you add cactus blossom from friend
in Montana, leaf from correspondent
who assembled Pixies Peak and thought
of you on that grand elevation, or per-
haps blade o'grass from the road lead
ing to the Battle Monument in our own
beloved Vermont. Then at the END of
the book you write the familiar lines:
"A pressed flower love-
Not for itself, but that its form
Is linked with Joys departed,
And with days gone by"
And now a word about the flowers that
are not ''cut and dried" but still linger
to charm us yet a little while. Let us
make haste to use them as vehicles for
our kindly thoughts toward our friends.
remembering, first of all, if they love
flowers, those who are nearest and dear
est. If flowers are not to them an es-
pecial delight even pOsies should not in
trude.
To many guests tiny bouquet beside
their plate at dinner speaks of the kind
thoughts and hospitable intent of the
hostess, in way that is highly appre-
ciated. And if one has "made and pro-
vided" sundry small fanciful baskets, or
a simple box of birch-bark or paper
wherein to lay the tiny nose gay, why,
sometimes these would be treasured
more than the giVer imagines. At lit
tie tea party given in small hamlet not
long ago, the napkins were japanese"
and were presented to the guests as
souvenirs. They were priced then, but
since we learned that one of that
goodbye company" had been called to
Ego up higher" these mementoes have
a deeper meaning. All, my friends, let
us close no happy day." and let us lose
no opportunity to make our friends
happy, not forgetting the stranger that
is within Tor without our gates, if so be,
we may reach them in some way. A
tiny cornucopia containing bit of
feathery clematis and cluster of bitter
sweet berries, would be pretty offering
to lay beside the plate of guest at
breakfast. She who does not appreciate
this delicate attention, must be particu-
larly pachgdermatous; but do not des-
pair, and say you will do nothing what
ever" for her in the line of ''favors. 3"
Try another tack, her armor isn't invul-
nerable, probably. If patience is not "the
flower of all the virtues" it has GER
tainly a rare perfume-'rarer than
roses" And let us always remember
that though the meal be simple and
there be not solitary sunhower to
grace the table, yet
Cheerful looks make every dish feast.
And tits that crowns a welcome"
HE GETS HIS MAIL