The Portland daily press., 1896-07-09
The Flower Mission.

To the Editor Of the Press:
The committee of the FruiU and Flower
Mission find it necessary to further ap-
peal to it's friends for help in carrying on
the present seasons work, for the reason
that so far the supply of fruit and flow
ers has been unequal to the demand.
Plans are weekly made to visit our hos
pitfalls and institutional houses carrying
to each resident flowers beautiful and
bright and also into the homes where
there is sickness and poverty. A bit of
jelly or saucer of fruit with daintily
arranged bunch Of flowers supplemented
with CHEEKY wor0 OF greeting.
Now ia the season of roses and many
choice variety of flowers. The people to
whom these are no rarity cannot realize
what delight they arctic those who are
unable to get them. We are sure that
the little incident that came under the
writer's observation will appeal to one's
sympathies and its recital will be no
breach of trust for the genuine touch of
nature makes US all akin. On recent
flower Thursday the bouquets were COM
posed mostly of field flowers with the ex-
osption Of few that were blessed above
thsir fellows in each having two magnifi-
cent oarnation pinks which had been sent
by we'll known florist. And rather in
congruous did they look too, their dain-
ty and aristoerasic suggestiveness SEEM
ing bit out of place among the plebian
daisies and butteroups.
When they had been carried to their
destination it wes found that the mum her
Of bouquets containing the coveted prizes
was alarmingly small although their
fortunate possessors were SO generous as
to pass them from one to another that all
might bo GA equal footing tenn pnrarily.
1t was found that one person, blind,
cold and inflrm, with the look of patient
yearning often seen on the faces of the
blind, and who stood apart from the rest
was turning his flowers from side TO side
trying in vain 80 seek for the treaGure
flowers. Instantly they ware taken from
him with the exclamation, II declare
MIR. - hnin't got no pinks at all In his
bouquet. Here let's change. You shall
have mine. Here's big beauty right
here, and here's another right along side
| of it. placing the poor old fingers upon
| them with tender grace. The old man
lifted thsm to his face and said with a
touching fsrvor, "Ain't they beautiful.
o, ain't theyF'
This case is not an isolated one. We
wish it were possible for thu owners Of
our beautiful gardens and Conservatives
to go with our Flower missionaries On
their weekly rounds and see what the
mission OF the flowers means to those
who need their ministries. And in this
connection tbs committee would ask for
more helpers among the young girls.
There are many circles of Kings Daugh-
ters and Junior Christian Endeavorers
and Epworth League societies, whose
members ara needing just such work as
this and whom the Flower Mission needs
A young girl from IL to 10 years of age
| brings into sick room OF into the ward
Of one of eur hospitals an abundance of
bright cheer as she passes from bsd to
bed with the sweet flowers which teach
of the love and purity of God who made
them. AS is known the rooms of the
nilsson, 36 Oak street. are open from Z
O'Clock every Thursday morning to II
O'Clock a. IN. We invite every one to Wis.,
it them even il they have no flowers for
they will repay one for the visit. ANY
communication regarding the work
will receive q prompt reply If sent to
Glover Mission ,549 Cumberland street,
Portland. Flowers from the country ara
solicited. In previous years many flow
ers have come over the railroads the ex-
press charges Of which ore settled by us.
M r. q