The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-15
HER PRETTY MOUTH WILL
WHISTLE FOR OUR DELIGHT

societies are churches. Christian Endeavor
societies. Kings Daughters and Womans
Christian Temperance Unions. Many
perhaps nnost--of the flowers are picked
by children; end through the Oranges
and the Long Island towns and up in
Connecticut and New York states their
small fingers are busy every Sunday and
Wednesday filling the great boxes and
hampers to be sent to town by the night
trains Express companies carry them
free, volunteer workers make them irto
bouquets each Monday and Thursday
morning and thtn distribute all those
that are not called for. To Bellevue and
New York Hospital they go, TO Gouve-
neur and Hudson Street and a score of
other hospitals; to homes for old people
ard children, to mansions in the crowded
slums. to free kindergartens and day
nurseries. Then, sometimes. a worker
takes basketful OF bouquets or either
sIm ard walks down through the crowd
ed tenement regions. She asks in the
tenement houses If there is any one sick
IN the building or any crippled child or
person confined to his or her room. She
leaves them in little stores and shops or
gives them away whenever she sees a
longing glance
one day woman said to one OF the
workers: IT have been trying to think
where have seen you before. Didn't you
use to give out flowers in M Hos
pital? Seven years ago, when I was sick
there, you brought me a bouquet, and
because l was so weak you pinned 1t on
for me- $500
The perfume OF single bunch of flow
ers had lasted through seven years. An
other worker will never forget the face
of woman in one Of the most crowded
sections of the city. She refused the
flowers at first. supposing them to be for
sale. When she found they were intended
as a gift her face frightened in a won
derful way.
"A present. PRESENT. she cried, and
ran to get water to put them in.
Every Thursday until the close of the
school year boys come from the schools
for crippled children. with great clothes
baskets. which they fill with bouquets to
carry away, and then the vacation schools
! begin, pupils from them do the same. Oc-
casionally a consignment Of fresh eggs.
fruit or vegetables comes in from some
warm hearted country friend. Sometimes
when people go to Europe for the summer
they will leave orders with the gardener
at their country place to send weekly
boxes of flowers or fruit or both. This
was done this summer by Mr.. Breese of
| Southampton, L. l., and parting gift
from j. Pierpont Morgan before he sailed
early in the summer was a big consign-
ment of flowers and strawberries from
his place at Highland Falls Some city
| people, when they clean house in the
| spring, will send all the jelly left over
from the winters store to the Flower
Mission. There is perhaps no one thing
more welcome that this, for 1t is some
thing all sick people eat, and not till one
has seen the fare in the great hospitals
on the island can he Judge what 1t means
to add little delicacy to the menu.
The Flower Mission is a most contented
society. 1t has only two things to ask
first, that its country friends should pick
new blossoms and pack them with care,
In order that they may not fall to pieces
on being unpacked; second, that more vol
unteer workers will come Thursday MORN
ing to the basement of No. 104 East Twen-
t'ath street to take the place of those
who leave the city during July and Au-
gust.