The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-28
THE RED FLOWER.

The Dairnio Yoritomo has been dead and
buried for centuries. His castles are either
shapeless ruins or else inhabited by the
descendant Of strangers. His wars and
victories, his wealth and splendor are for.
gotten. All that remains of the great
prince Is vague memory Even the mem.
DRY is preserved not by reason of his great.
neSs, but by beautiful flower and the
story Of girls love.
Daimio Yoritomo had, in common with
all great princes, a passion for flowers
His gardens were famous for their beauty,
and at the flower show his plants and bios
SONS easily excelled all others. In the ma.
tional competitions at Kyoto he had car.
ried off the chief prizes Is times cnnsecu.
lively A shrcwd poet wrote Il poem in
his praise, calling him 1.-The Lord Of Flow.
ers.
The verses were not OvcrcyCCllCnt but
the appellation SO pleased the prince that
he enriched the author and made him The
poet Of his court.
While Yoritomo loved all flowers, his
idol was the chrysanthelnum. In his gar.
dcnS he had more than a hundred vari
cites Of this royal plant. In fact he lad
every kind that was then known in japan.
There was delicate Evening Star, silver
and gold, which, backed by its dark foil.
age, looked like n heavenly constellation.
There was the Silk Cloud, which is so fine
that it seems ready to float away, and 50
glossy that it outshincs the finest tissues
of Osaka.
There was the SNOWFALL, the Flame of
Gold, and many other rare kinds which
arc so common nowadays that they have
lost their names altogether
In these floral treasures the prince took
unspcakablo pride and pleasure. So deep
were his feelings that If any other lord had
surpassed him in the beauty and variety
OF his chrysanthcmums he would have dc.
clared war, committed hari kari or dono
something else equally insane Yet,
though he was applaudcd the length and
breadth of the land for his Horticulture he
really did not deserve n particle of credit.
Outside Of the battlefield and the camp he
was slow and incident, and beyond the
education which every daimio must pos.
sess lie was ignorant and unrrorrtssive
He knew nothing Of the florist 5 art and
never dreamed that the beauty and variety
of the domestic flowers we're due to infinite
patience, lifelong labor, careful study and
II strict performance Of duty. still less did
he think that his many successes in the
flower Shows were due to the ability and
fidelity "f his head gardener Matsuda ard
the assistant gardener Nomuri Yet such
was i!g fact.
MGtsuda came of a distinguished family
OF hutjcEli,rsts as, of course, did No
TUrI, Who was n second cousin. HE two
artist, for artists they were in the highest
s,nEr If the word, had LI,n born in the
lr":'s%'on. bad mastered its PRINCIPLES and
trrrris in their youth, and after being add
lnittcd into the guild, had dedicated their
live" TO lc"oming masters Of their craft.
This they had already accomplished!
MHts"lla was universally este 4cd as the
first florist in the country, ard NOlnori the
third. The second was gardener named
M"rui.i, of whom we VIII soon hear more
Natruda was II fine looking man Of 30,
whose face seemed to reflect the joyous cx-
lrcSy ion Of the blossoms over which he
worked. Nolnori was hut %, Il tail, hand
rome youth, with completion like old
gold bronze
The two were deeply attached to each
other, and tho attachment was lot Jesse ned
hy the fact that Nomuri was aflianced to
MHtsuda's pretty little daughter O-San.
HAY were very joyous trio and lived
happily together in the gardener house in
the mIGd9c of Iortomo's garden. Tho
wedding was set for year off. and all of
thcm tool; delight in procuring the mum.
hcr'rSs things which are required ut all
well appointed nuptials.
There is no fair sky without a cloud,
although we may rot see il at the time,
ard The rlcrd ON the sky Of this happy
Household WIS the florist Maruki. IIc
was CEtrrmCly skillful in his calling, and
was very learned, hut was devourcd Iy the
0elnuu Of envy. He cnvird Matsuda be-
cause he was head gardener and Il greater
florist tlnn himself. He envicd Nomori
because he WIS young and handsome be-
cause he was n close rival and because he
was to marry O-San
He CnyiCd o San because she was inno-
cent and beautiful and because she loved
Nom0ri. He knew that if he could ever
excel Matsuda, even but once, he would he
richly rewarded by the dainio and proba-
bly, receive the formers place.
inspired by this idea he toilcd early and
late. His work was of the best, and many
were the variations and Improvements lie
produced in favoritc flowers. But he never
surpassed Matsuda, try all he could.
He was discouraged, but not cast down,
and kept on experimenting and expert
monting in the fond hope that some day
he would achieve something which would
make him realize his jealous desires. His
own thoughts preycd upon his body.
Though not over 40, he looked 70 years
old But where age should have brought
dignity, mental calm and spiritual rcpose,
his face and form became gaunt and SIMS
ter, ungracious and repclling. Nevcrthe.
less something did occur which was Il nine
days wonder One morning Maruki left
his house carrying a large pot of flowers
carefully covered over with silk CLOTH
md proceeded TO the royal court. He told
the doorkcepcr that he had a new flower
which he desired to present to the damio,
and which no other eye had ever seem
He was admitted into the audience
chamber, where sat Yoritomo, surrounded
by his courters, The florist bowed hum.
bly,, advanced toward the prince, bowed
humbly again. and then proudly withdraw
ing the silk disclosed a red chrysanthe.
mum.
The entire court, regardless of etiquette,
broke into murmurs Of surprise. There
could be no doubt of it, although it had
never been heard Of before. 1t was red
rysanthemum-notpi pink nsr orange nor
purplish, but u duh bronze red. 1t %as
not Il handsome color.
1t was tho hue You see on some poison
GUS serpents, or, as the court poet said,