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

ELY BROTHERS, 90 Warren st. New York City.
"the hue of Maruki's soul" This was
the hour Of the latter's triumph. Tho
prince praised him, loaded him with gifts
and appointed him head gardener of his
country seat
He then asked how the flower had been
produced As he heard the question, some
demon must have prompted the florist, or
be unhlushingly answered that part of the
secret he had learned himself and part he
had purchased from Matsuda and Nonori
for 900 pieces Of silver to be used as
O-San' wedding portion.
Tho story was plausible, and the daimio
was cnragcd. He dismissed Maruki and
sent for his two florists They came, and,
OF course, protested their innocence. Bat
their pleas were of no avail The prince
was 80 incensed that he decrecd them to
DO thrown into Jail, to be taken out every
morning hya guard. allowed to work in
the garden and returned in the evening,
and that If they did not produce "a rcd
chrysanthemunI within year both should
be beheaded.
When the evil news reached O-San, tho
poor girl tainted and did not regain her
strength until the next day. Then sho
went out into the garden and tried to talk
with her father and her lover. At first the
guards rcpulsed her, but soldiers have
usually kind hearts beneath rough exte.
riors, and after many entreaties they per.
mitted her to do ms she desired.
The conversation was not rcassrriDg.
Neither Matsuda nor Nomori had the least
conception of how the flower had been
produced or even of any way in which to
begin experimenting in the matter. The
day passed in this manner, and at evening
O-San went home much dispirited.
The next morning she started early and
called upon all the florists in the neighhor.
hood and asked them if they knew. Not
one of them did. Not ono had ever dreamed
of anything like it. She continued her
quest day after day with no success, al.
ways arriving home in time to say some
thing encouraging to her father and lover
Whom two months had slipped by, Euor
O-San found that she had seen every tlori.
culturist in that part of the country OK
ccpting tho maleyulcnt Maruki.
Still undauntcd, she again started out to
Some Of them were kind and generous,
who, when they heard her piteous story,
would take nothing from her. Others were
greedy and schemng, who would say moth.
ing until they had received Il large fee and
then said nothing
In this way her little money went, then
her jcwClry and then her wedding pres
cnts. Ey the time she had consulted all
the wise men she was us poor as a hcg~ar
and was almost broken hearted. 1hrco
months had passed in this way, and she
was almost desperate, when she heard of
great foreign sage in Il ncighboring city.
1t was her last hope, and there she went.
She found the sage, benevolent, white
haired man, who had mastered all tho
learning Of the world
When she related her task, he looked
distressed ard said: Il am sorry, my
daughter. | taught Maruki tho trirk,
which consists in feeding the chrysantlc-
mum each evening at dusk with three
drops of fresh blood. The finer and rurer
the blood the finer the rcd of the flower
Your blood would do better than mine;
mino better than that of wicked man
HIu HIS ItblcE ulllll tHuU vi uu llnul
Maruki used that of doves"
O-San cried for joy at learning tho
strange secret
She was home in time to see her loved
ones, but said nothing of her discovery
That evening she selected several chrysan-
thcmums and put them in the most favor
able place near the house. Then, cutting
her arm with her lovers knife, she fed
each bush with three drops of blood.
The days passed slowly. The plants
pr0sTcrCd amazingly, thanks to her care
which never fnltorcd In stormy weather
she rut umbrellas over them and boxes
around them. In chilly nights she would
VIA" them loosely in warm cloths. In dry
weather shC 81 rayCd water over the leaves,
and ii all times she gave the plants tho
fert ili2ing fluids her father had taught her
to prepare.
She allowed no moth or butterfly to
alight on them and no caterpillar or snail
To climb up the pots.
And every evening each had the three
drops of blood. When the buds appeared,
the bushes were models of beauty ard tie
Fance. Then came the period Of intense
excitement. Surprising she had made IN
error Surprising the sage had bccn
wrong: Surprising another variety Of
flower ought to have been choscnP
All these fears filled her with dismay.
Who shall describe her feelings when
first one bud, then another and then a
dozen showed flashes Of rcd petals beneath
the green cover? Vino shall depict her joy
AT last ono morning on finding her plants
allaZc in rich, royal scarlet? How sho
laughed and sobbcd when she got ready to
carry them to the palace! How the guards,
as well as her father and lover, carried on
when she showed them the flaming glory,
and how the prince and the court Ichavcd
when rich blossoms shot scarlet splendor
through the palace halls is for other pens
than minc
But when she stood up and fnltcringly
told her story, and when she drew back
tho sleeve of her ikmOno and showed the
beautiful arm marred by white and pink
and red scars, the daimio rose and pros
trated himself before her.
He ennobled her, her father ard her low
er and said that the wonderful flower
should thereafter be known as O-Sans
Love, and O.San's Love it is even unto
this Acknowledgements ArliDa Hainm in
New York Mail and Ev,irrcs