Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-03-10
ONE OF THE DuPeS
RISES TO DEFEND ''woMAN's LOVE FOR
THE BEAUTIFUL"
Editor Democrat:

In lookup OSeT TeSout Dc"oSa".
perceived that Friend TiltOn has griev-
ance, and that grievance has for cause,
woman's love for the beautiful. have
dared to call him "Friend" Tilton, al
though have never had the pleasure OF
meeting him; but there Is Bohemian
Ism about people who scribble, sort OF
fellowship, as 1t were, that does away
with good deal OF conventionality, and
confess that the many terse, pithy,
sensible aud interesting articles that !
have read from his pen, have aroused In
me curious desire to meet their author.
| had imagined we might meet with
level eyes on common ground, but AFTER
this late eagle-like swoop upon my sex,
this clutching In his talons OF one OF our
greatest sources Of pleasure-the culti-
waiting OF Towering plsnts-sfter this
stigmstizing our love for flowers as
fad" this unjust limiting that one
woman cuitivates plants just because
another does, aud not because she her-
self loves the beautiful, fragrant things,
this utter tabooing Of the sweet and re-
fining influence Of house plants, lind
nv ideas a little mixed; for | confess
that am one of the "dupes" who con-
suit floral catalogues and send hard-earn-
ed cash to enrich the florist, but really
do not remember that | ever received
.snoxious weeds" In return.
have no bay window filled with tier
upon tier OF beautiful plants such as Is
Friend Tilton's good fortune to enjoy %,
but have few pets, and l love every
single one OF them. All through the
long. cold winters care for them. Gov
ering them closely with newspapers each
night. and considering myself amply re-
paid bv the beauty and fragrance of the
buds and blossoms which are mine all
through the spring, summer and faii.
But alas this winter | have been unfort-
unate enough TO lose the greater part OF
them, so unless my friends generously
come to my assistance with cuttings,
shall be obliged to have still another con-
sultation with the spring catalogue. ana
send little extra hard-earned cash 10
swell the already overflowing Golfers OF
John Lewis Childs. But hope Friend
+. will not consider Il incumbent on him
TO send me either cutting or root oil
the wonderful plant whose name IL a
swear word.
And now In regard 10 outdoor gar
dens. I am afraid the writer OF diverse
Fancies" does not fully appreciate his
blessings. IL his wife has charming
aower-gsrden. Il certainly ought TO be a
source of deligh, 10 him, as well as To
her, all summer long. Let him f'ng away
his prejudice and make friends with the
flowers during the long golden summer
DAYS that are surely coming by-and-by
let him learn their habits, their time and
manner Of Towering, drink deep Of their
beauty and fragrance, and, my word for
IL, he will soon admit that bed OF bios
soming plants l. more beautiful than
grass plat. Let him bend above bed OF
petunias when the twilight breeze l.
swaying their dew-wet censers, and he
will be ms 10th Ia turn away as a woman.
And just here let me ask IL he for an
instant imagines that woman would
give up the pleasure Of iiower-garden
| IL she knew that the making OF IL would
give her the rheumatisms By no means.
And when after digging in the damp
earth all day, she exclaims, "What on
earth makes me so lamcg' she knows
very well what IL Is, and at the same
time she Is planning 10 her dear little
head the enlargement OF that garden
next spring. And | hope she will enlarge
il. | want every woman TO have all the
plants aud Towering shrubs she can take
care Of, and IL she needs any assistance,
let the masculine part OF the household
be ready and willing to give 1t, and not
name the poor inoffensive plants swear
words, either.
There Is still another point on which
beg 10 differ with the author OF
diverse Fancies," and that Is In regard
to substituting fruit trees for elms, as
shade trees. Surely the gentleman can
not be In earnest when he proposes to do
away with the stately and beautiful elms,
and the gracefully dropping willows that
make our village streets beautiful, and
| la many cases constitute the sole beauty
OF the village. Surely no man In his
senses would wish TO remove them and
substitute the common apple tree, with
Its short, and often gnarled trunk. or the
cherry. with its branches often covered
with the repulsive black knot. No,
refuse to believe that the gentleman
meant one word OF adverse Fancies."
He simply wrote the article TO pass away
an idle hour, and all because OF an over
turned flOwer-pot chose TO empty the
yials of his wrath upon the defenseless
heads OF US poor women.
believe In planting plenty OF grape
vines, and enjoying the luscious fruit
therefrom, but love the woodbine, es-
pecially In the autumn, when the merci-
less fingers Of Jack Frost have touched
it into glowing mass OF brilliancy, and
believe that it has its place aud mis-
sion, just as much as has the grapevine.
But as do not wish to quarrel with
Friend Tilton, will simply beg him to
be careful Of the flower-pots In that bay
window, as we women cannot stand the
terrible consequences Of their overturn-
ing. IsA GERTRUDE WHITMAN.
Buckfeld, Feb. Z, 1896.