The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-20

practice this custom of Greek and Roman
life.
When considered so important in social
life, We need not wonder that the corn
rose" (papaver rhaea) occupies consider
able place in the works of classic writer's
Theocritus, Virgil and many another tell
us of loves test and of deaths Offering,
and tbs literature triumphs over the dead
and buried material past, in that it lives
on to tell its tales of simple joys and sor-
rows to the countless Christian millions
who have lived and loved and died since
pagan Greece and Rome tottered to de-
cay.
Legend of the Opium.
In Bengal we find a wonderful legion
as to the birth of the opium
On the banks of the Holy Ganga lived a
Rishi or Sage, in his hut of palm leaves.
little mouse, timid, yet bold, was his
only companion; her lot, a happy one, I'M
til cat disturbed its daily peace See
ing her fright, the kind Rishi grants to
her the power of speech to tell her fears,
and so she begs to be changed into the
form of a cat like her cruel enemy
Then dog pursues the cat and per-
force she must become a dog; the chain
of persecution is only lightened, not
broken. An ape worries the dog, and as
an ape she is tossed by the boar Change
of sex may bring strength but cruelty
dwels not in sex, for the elephant, in
brute force, tramples the boar
Peace and contentment have not vet
come; mayhap it will. when to the i'm
age of beautiful maiden the sage trans
forms the mouse, and thereby expends his
powers.
Postomani or Poppye seed lady he calls
her. and she cares Tor his wants and
ministers to his needs and is happy.
But King comes that way and covets
Postomani, and then pride rises in her
heart. She tells the King that Rishf
found her in the woods-a deserted Prin-
cess-and Rishi wisely does not gainsay
her.
They are married She is made chief
Queen, but, alas! when standing by well
she becomes giddy, falls in and is
drowned.
The Kings grief is inconsolable and
a last, in order to soothe him somewhat
the sage confesses that Postomani the
great and beautiful, was once "a tiny
mouse and royalty may not fret over the
insignifcants in life. He advises the King
to fill up the well with earth and prophe-
sizes that from Postomani's bones will
spring a wondrous plant, whose seeds will
bring new power into the earth
Whose smokes or swallows them will
combine Postomanis rencarnated ma
lures. Mischtevous as a mouse fond of
milk as the cat, quarreisome as the dog.
filthy as the ape, savage as the boar
mighty as the elephant. high tempered as
queen-all these will be the opiuu
shave, whether of China far off or our
nearer Chinatown, with it's recent TRACE
dy. And so the white poppy was born.
Its legend points many morals for those
who love to moralize.
Coming back rom Eastern lands and
imageries to our own country and our
own time. we have story of the red Don
by more pathetic than death in It's asso.
Citations.
Empress CarIottn'S Flower.
When the Archduke Macmillan OF Ans
tria, with his beautiful wife. Carlotta
accepted the Empire of Mexico both made
elaborate preparations in order to lend
dignity to their new life in the New
World. Carlotta decided that some order
of knighthood must be instituted. so thar
those who served them well and faith-
fully might be rewarded She decided
that the color of the ribbon Of the order
must be red But Napoleon objected saw
ing that the ribbon of the Legion of Hon
or was red, and must not he copied. The
light hearted Carlotta enclosed a popnv
petal in letter to Louis Napoleon. re-
minding him that the Order 'oS Nature