St. Paul daily globe., 1892-04-28

DO you want to know what / would do
II were Kings Daughter" Yes?
Well, would inaugurate home flower
mission. BY that | do not mean the ex-
pendituTe OF large sums of money daily
throughout the summer for fresh cut
flowers, although these are lovely offer
ings for the sick rooms in the tenement
districts; but mean the formation OF
plan by which poor women and chill
dren mas be led tn raise their own how
ers all the year around. and INA an I'M
mense amount OF pure enjoyment III
doing It. Cut flowers are very eXpen-
5ive and very shOrt-llved. A q basket
Of these might be given away every day
in the week. and not begin 10 20 around
those who would be really benefited by
them.
Now, Listen to Wy Plan.
At cents package, 100 packages of
the best flower seeds in the market can
be purchased for s.. II there is not
much money in the treasury that can
be devoted TO this experiment, 1t may
be tried on a small scale at first. by
EiyIng out five packages 10 each famlly
where a desire is shown to grow their
own flowers. A trip around any OF the
hundreds of bare-footed, dirty-faced
little boys and girls playing in the sand
and sun all day, without thought OF
making themselves either useful or
ornamental The influence OF two or
three we'll tended flower beds, in bad
ueighbOrhuOd, has been known to WORK
a wonderful change for the better III
the denizens thereof.
Both In London and Boston,
the flower missionaries have done re-
markable work among the poorest class
es Of those cities. The work began in
very humble way, but the effects eX-
ceeded their widest expectations.
here is something very humanlZing in
the sanshinc Of a spring morning, and
this is lust the time to SOW good seed In
the careless hearts Of these little raga-
mullins. as well as in their unkempt
yards. First get the consent OF the
parents and then interest the urchlnS
in your scheme Of beautifylng the yard.
You will be surprised 10 see what en-
thusiastic little workers they will be-
come If skilfuly handled. Children are
born with a passion for digging in the
dirt; and they will dig all the harder II
they farcy they are dong something
useful. that you could not do for them
WITHOUT SOlllilB your CIOLHtS.
Advise With Them
as TO the shape OF the beds, the best
way of making them, with reference to
The space they have and the kind OF
earth that will be best for the kind of
flowers they are going TO plant. Some
times, when / pass by beautifully
kept lawn, in the better portions Of the
city. and SEE happy children admiring
A.. 10 t,,f a
an orderly manner by the gardener,
long 10 interest them In doing similar
favor Tor those who have neither gar
dener nor flowers; and TO whom an hour
among the flowers OF those lovely lawns
would be like fOretaste OF paradise.
rs soon as the beds are all
Ready for the Seeds.
show the little people bow to plant and
water. aud, il vines are planted also.
they will find continued employment in
making rude trelises Of laths that can
be had for a few pennies. Where it is
pOss bic, morning glOres should be
planted under the windows most eX-
posed to the sun; and these will soon
folm lovely awning, to take the place
Of the expensive ones the poor cannot
touch, no matter how great their need,
In the burning August days. BY giving
five packages 10 each family, twenty
may be able to,raiSe beautiful beds of
Verbena, geranium. pOrtulacca, mlgno-
nette and morning glory. Even these
few varieties will give their owners,
young and old, great deal OF un-
dreamed of enjoyment; and IL there is
money enough to give ten packages, in
stead Of five. the results will be still
more satisfactory. The poorest fami-
lies in the small towns Of this country
aud Europe almost invariably have
their
Small Patches of Flowers,
TO brighten life and keep alive senti-
ment; but city life has terrible tend
ency TO crush out all sentiment and
reduce its poor to u sordid level, from
which they lose even the desire to raise
themselves by the simple means com
monty employed in country towns. A
nation without sentiment is either dead
al heart, or dying swiftly. Ours is a
comparatively young city in the worlds
history, and regard it as the duty of
every good woman, young or old. to do
her share toward making it guide-poSt
to other municipalities, which, seeing
our plans for eleVating and beautifying
the homes Of our Door, will 90 and do
likewise. 1t is only the gospel OF uni
versal brotherhood that l preach, and it
las the value of simplicity and prac
ticabillty.