The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-18

eulysanlueinuIn may De seen from a
glance at the list of names of those who
have offered special prizes for the coming
chrysanthemum show. One may find
there Mrs. Henry Clews, Mrs. William G..
Whitney, Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Cornelius Van
derbilt. Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs, Mrs. A.
Ladenburg, Mrs. ]. +. ID. Lanier, and Miss
Bird. The Vanderbilts were among the
trst to bring the flowers before society.
When you put your card with a floral
offering to lady don't try to make the
gift more precious by adding a poetical
sentiment. Write simply compliments
OF" unless in case of special greetings
such as are appropriate to New Years or
Christmas day, for instance. On those
two occasions, by the way, 1 believe that
society does not attempt to be original. 1t
clings pretty closely to the old formula
which makes the 25th of December
''merry" and the LIST of January ''happy."
If you are engaged it is the proper thing
to send flowers regularly. Don't rush into
extravaganza and order your florist to send
them to her every day. Make it every other
day, and have him select a very few fine
posies rather than large number at the
expense of the quality. If he says he cam
do the proper thing for $40, kill him; or,
better, get out of paying the bill Some
very nice fellows in New York have
thought that in such emergencies, twice a
week, was often. enough to send flowers
Doh u Try W dttttlu 10 II yourself. Let
your florist do it regularly if you really de-
sire to increase the solidity of the bond.
It's money in his pocket, and he'll remem-
Der 1t; but it's money out of yours, and
you'll forget it on slight provocation.
suppose we step out of the circle of So
ciety and consider the drama for a mo-
ment. Perhaps the reader is tempted to
show his appreciation of special talent or
personal attractiveness on the stage by
sending floral offering to be hoisteI
over the footlights, if the rules
of the theater permit, or to enter
by way of the stage door, if that is
the order. To any young man who is
moved to waste his patrimony in this
manner, l would say, in a general way,
don't. But there are excuses, and in case
they seem to you valid, don't be frightened
by the apparent magnificence of the offer
ings you have seen made by others. They
do not cost half as much as you think. If
you pay more than $40 for such purpose
you are wasting your money. Probably
you are in any case; but let that pass. L
assure you that the great Patti herself
would not consider a sacrifice of the value
of $40 to be any slight upon her fame.
Send the flowers in a box if you think
the propriety of that course will be appre-
ciated; and if you are pretty certain it
won't, if the gift will gain in value by be-
ing seen of men, tip the wink to your for
cent looking thing he can devise, but to
let you off easy on the bill. If he has any
soul he will get up an impressive mass at
a cost of not more than pair of ten spots.
The audience won't know the difference,
and it's hundred to one that the recip-
lent won't either.
To stimulate the imagination of the
young man who would like to give a
token of his regard and a good lad" at the
same time, l will mention two such offer
ings which were held to be notable in New
York. One was the celebrated balloon of
roses presented by Howell Osborne to Fay
Templeton in memory of her triumphs in
"Evangeline." The other was New York's
last tribute TO Carmencita-a basket COW
cred with yellow and white roses, and
bearing an enormous for handle.
When the graceful daughter of Spain
essayed to lift the basket by the handle, n
concealed trap opened in the cover and
two doves, harnessed with yellow and
white ribbons, flew out.
| can't help saying word more to cor
rect the popular error about the costliness
of flowers. The expense of bouquets at
weddings has been thought to figure seri-
ously in the problem whether marriage is
becoming unpopular. Let's see how the
facts stand. The bill may be something
like this: Boutonnieres for six ushers,
two white roses or one verv handsome rose.
with a spray of iIy-of-the-yalley, 81
each, total So; superior quality of the same
thing for the best man, S1.25; bridesmaids,
four. at $40 TO SIS apiece, say $50; bridal
bouquet, $50; "dem'd total" as Manti-
lini would say, Sl07.25. To man of any
means this would seem like a very small
addition TO the terrors of matrimony.