Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-10
The Season of Flowers in This City
Still Holds Sway.
CHRYSANfHEEuMS, P[NKS And VIoLETs
On the Street Corners and in the
Brilliant Reception Rooms.
A WASHINGTON CUSTOM

4
strikes the winter visitor as being as char
acteristic in its way as the Capitol or the
monument is the quantity OF flowers. which
January or February though 1t be. are
visible on all hands. They monopolize big
| spaces In the markets, where they are
surrounded by admiring femininity. greatly
to the chagrin. no doubt. Of the blossoms
homely neighbors. the deserving vegetables.
| and the worthy capons. who are thus de-
prived. in a measure, OF the full attention
| otherwise given them. They are vended
on the streets. while bouquets OF them.
procured from one or the other of these
| sources. adorn the outer stills of most of
the windows. whittier they have been placed
to preserve their freshness in the winter
air Of the capital city, which is oftener
cool than cold.
Two causes have conspired to produce
the particular paradox here seen of flowers
and winter. the first of which is the numer-
Gus green houses that have sprung up all
about In answer to the immense demand
for flowers by official society-a custom
for which the White House is said to have
| been in the beginning responsible, since
| equipped as 1t is with its own large private
| conservatories, end having In addition
| the entire sweet contents Of the govern
ment hot houses at its beck and CALL the
| first ladies OF the land for many reigns
| ba ok. have been able to set shining ex-
| amples Of prodigality in floral adornment,
for the flower bill Of grand cabinet. sena-
| torial or other official doings to run up
into the hundreds OF dollars.
The other reason for the profusion OF
cold season, which. IL not genial, is at
| least kind enough In the main not to FROST
| bite the blossoms delicate petals, even
when fully exposed to IL.
They open the season.
AS q result. W Washington. in the time Of Its
| leafiess trees. deserted parks and occa-
| sional SHOWS. has distinct flower period.
which is inaugurated in November with
great pomp and circumstance by the annual
arrival OF the chrysanthemum, bushels Of
which then wander up and down the
streets In quest Of purchasers. propelled in
their peregrinations by small colored boys.
whose unfiowerlike faces form admirable
| foils for their wares.
| As chrysanthemums ebb, the glowing
| spicy tide OF carnation pinks begin to set
| In. for II any one imagines that winter
| here has not its distinct blossomy phases
as well has summer. and that different
| species of flowers do not now succeed each
other, even as In the longer summer days
Of the year lilacs follow arbutus. roses
lilacs and POND lilies succeed them all, let
him note the fair procession a few weeks
| and he will be disabused Of his error. Not
| that no other flower is seen In the reigning
| blossoms company. for high-priced roses.
dis are all here: but they are I'm the mi
nority, and seem indeed only as garnishes
to the floral piece de resistance that Is at
the time being served up.
The third and last season Is violet time,
when great trays OF these flowers carried
in the arms, or upborne on the heads OF
their sales-people. are scattered at close
| intervals along the desert of pavement. like
| 80 many miniature GASES. giving Joy to the
sight and scent to weary pilgrims. They
are everywhere in facial the doors OF
theaters on matinee days. around the hotel
entrances, at the street railway transfer
stations, and particularly around those
meccas of womankind. the shops: and that
they are irresistible In their invitations to
be bought is evidenced by the fact that
almost every man. woman and child one
meets wears q larger or smaller bouton-
nier composed of them: while regarding
| those not 30 adorned, one feels that they
surely must have either lost or left their
pocket books at home.
Al It L. Japan.
This unvarying succession OF certain
flowers. winter after winter. quite reminds
one of the japanese year. which is divided
into six flower seasons-the time Of the
blossoming OF the camellia, the Towering
Of the plum. the cherry. the wisteria, the
lotus and lastly the chrysanthemum-
epochs to which they refer as commonly
| as do we to spring, summer, autumn and
winter.
Just now the season that everybody loves
best-violet time-is here again, and It is
discoverable upon reflection that this uni
versal admiration for the violet has we'll
grounded reasons for its existence. for the
fragrant little flower Is attractive in three
distinct ways-it revives a picturesque past,
since Ii is the flower Of Napoleon; II prophe-
cies q happy future, for every pedestrian
who buys bunch knows that the next
blossom vended on the streets will be the
dainty arbutus OF the Virginia woods, and
In consequence can already see In his
minds eye the crocus. amethyst and gold
bursting through the brown mold OF the
parks. and the forsythia bushes glowing
beside them like punches Of sunshine; while
it's perfume renders It intrinsically attrae-
tive. fragrance being to a flower what a
beautiful character 10 to a person. and the
violet along with the little inconspicuous
mignonette being hence better loved, and
more extensively cultivated than many of
its SNOWY, scentless sisters, like the tulips
Even the stony hearted Napoleon had one
tender spot. that this sweet little double
blue flower which alike with him was a
native Of Corsica had found and kept; and
the stern. unninching nature that could
own men. II the need came, as when I'm
reply to a messenger who said:
sire. Gen. Clarke cannot combine with
Gen. Junot because OF the dreadful fire of
Let him carry the battery"
But. sire. every regiment that ap-
proaches the heavy artillery is sacrificed.
Sire. what ordersr'
Forward, forward"
This man would soften at the sight of a
violet They make me think of home"
he said one day when yet only a young
officer Of the French army he bought a
bunch from passing flower girl.
The Message of the Violet
stay! I have an idea" replied Barras
one of the leaders of the revolutionists
with whom he was at the moment confer
ring. Go to the salon Of Madame TalIen
and IL 1 succeed for you. she shall send
you a violet"
1t was at the stormy epoch i'm French
history. when the liberal party was threat
ened with overthrow. and a leader OF their
troops was needed. 1t had been proposed
that Napoleon. who. although not unknown
to military fame. was only TWENTY-FIVE
years old. should assume that important
post The elder statesmen had shaken
their grizzled heads and said:
What! has 1t come to this, that Frances
destiny lies In the hands OF a youth of five
and twenty?'
Il am perfectly aware Of the difficulties
In the path" returned the young man. in
answer to their demurs, and to the presi
dent OF the conventions question. as TO
whether he could restore peace and order
but" proudly. II am