The herald., 1896-04-26

THE curtain falls and from the scene
The actors pass. The mimic Queen
Lays down her diadem;
The lights grow dim and night serene
Regns o'er the city. where erst was seen
Gay pageants pass in glittering sheen;
The TESTERS silent. In the wing
The curtain falls"
II seem to be tired little. that's all. and
long for rest."-Tennyson.
The play is over and La Reina de Ia
Fiesta has left her southern dominion
for an absence Of twelve months.
Her beauty. her sweetness Of man
ner, and her. gracious consideration
won for her the admiration and love Of
her subjects
So gentle was she in her sway that
the weight Of royal cares told somewhat
upon her. Like she of whom she was
prototype she can now say.
ct feel
No greatness. save it be some far off touch
OF greatness to know well am not great"
With her court, her gracious majesty
has gone away for a time, but not be-
fore presiding with charming dignity
and grace at FL dia de las Flores. A
thousand gardens We're rif1ed of their
lovely treasures yesterday to do honor
to the occasion. For an hour there pass
ed in front of the royal pavilion caval-
cade that was gorgeous Kaleidoscope
Of magnificent coloring.
While all kinds of flowers were lavish
ly used in the decoration of the various
vehicles, the roSe-both white and red
entered mainly into all the decorative
effects. Rather oddly the device of the
fieur-de-lis was strikingly used. Ones
thoughts Immediately reverted to the
origin of the device, and the sweet and
romantic history that attaches to GER
tain flowers.
In the tenth century, Blanche de Cas-
TILES love for her son prompted her to
select from a bed of flowers which en-
bellished the sunny pasture of her castle
white lily, and with her loving hand
she placed it on her sons heart with
these remarkable words:
my son. keep your heart as pure as
this flower
The royal families of France have ever
since kept and cherished the f1eur-d -de-lis
as the most estimable treasure that
Blanche bequeathed them through her
son.
1t is a somewhat remarkablefact that
flowers have been almost universally
regarded as beneficent. While animals
have frequently been regarded as dia-
bolical flowers have seldom been ac-
credited with malign influence. Their
connection with religion has ever been
an intimate one. and their beautifying
use in all the important ceremonies OF
life has endeared them to every one, so
tHat tnelr mission mas always Deen u
softening and humanizing one.
Many of the humblest flowers and
most neglected weeds have been regard
ed as sacred at one time or another.
Around the rose, however, the most
romance clings. Several legends ac-
count for it's origin, some of which are
beautiful in conception. Sir John Man
deviile relates such a one A certain
Jewish maiden, Zillah, rejected the ad
vances of lover, HANNAH, degraded
ana cruel man. In revenge he ac-
cused her of offenses for which she was
condemned to be burned at the stake
When brought to the spot the flames
oid no harm to the maiden, but con-
sumed the false lover. And the fyre
began to burne about hire, she made
hire prayers to oure Lorde. and anon
was the tyre quenched and QUITE, and
brandes that were brennynge becomen
white roses, and theise werein the first
roses that ever any man saughe."
Then, too. the Hindoos have a pretty
idea regarding the rose embodied in the
myth concerning vishnu, one of the
trinity Of bright Aryan gods" to the
onoct that he discovered hie Wf6e' Ra-