New-York tribune., 1902-07-04
A BREATH OF THE COUNTRY
HOW THE TENEMENT JEWELLERS ARE
CARED FOR BY a FLOWER
MISSION

The crimson rambler rose made mass OF bright
ness in the dim basement OF AL Souls Church yes
rerdsyf morning. Buttercups and daisies and red
clover spoke eIoouentIy of country fields. and here
and there 2 beIated wild sent the breath
Of country lanes Great heaps Of black eyed Susans
patiently waited their turn. Boxes from florists
there too. which when opened disclosed opu-
lent masses OF carnations and La France roses,
bedded in damp ferns. But these not more
highly priced than the sweet, old fashioned garden
blooms, with the associations that appeal so
many; the marigolds and celandine, the pansies
and sweetpeas. the tall. white garden lilies with
their golden hearts. And cheek by jowl with the
lily and the rose heaps and heaps of crisp
lettuce heads and fresh little beets.
II distribution day at the New-York Flower
Mission, the Oldest IN New-York, and the second
IN America For thrty-two years the New-York
Flower Mission has twice q week-MOndays and
sdays-made its distributions Il does Try
20 grappIe with any Of the great problems Of pow
erty and social economics Il just tries 70 bring
little brightness into the lives Of people who ARE
sick and poor. in q simple friendly way. One can
not pauperize q sick man by giving him flower
SAYS the Flower Mission-nor yet little girl with
G doll Christmas time
More than six hundred societies and individuals
send flowers 10 the mission. Among the societies
are churches Christian Endeavor societies, King
Daughters and Won1an's Christian Temperance
Unions. Asry-perhaps mOst-of the flowers are
picked by children; and 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 filing the great boxes and
hampers 10 be sent town by the night trains
Express companies carry them free; volunteer
workers make them into bouquets each Monday
and Thursday morning, and then distribute all
those that are not called for. To Bellevue and
New-York Hospital they 90. TO Gouverneur and
Hudson Street and q score Of other hospitals; 70
homes for old people and children, TO mansions in
rbe crowded Sums TO free kindergartens and
Gay nurseries. Then sometimes a worker takes a
haskstful Of bouquets on either arm and walks
down through the crowded tenement regions she
asks in the tenement houses Il there IS any one
SICK II the building any crippled child or per
SCI confined 10 his OF her room She leaves them
81 little stores and shops, or gives them away
wherever she sees a longing glance.
One DAY woman said 10 one OF the workers; 4
have been trying 10 think where I have seen you
before. Dlon't you use TO give out flowers in NJ
Hospital? Seven years age. when was sick there.
you brought ne bouquet and because was so
weak you pinned II on for ne"
The perfume Of q single bunch OF flowers had
lasted through seven years. Another worker VIII
never forget the face OF q woman in Of the
most crowded sections Of the city. She refused
the flowers at first, supposng them 70 De for sale
When she found they were intended as gift her
"A present. a present.! she cried, and ran 10
one day WORKER left one Of her baskets with
some people the ground floor OF q tenement
the house. On her return sne found the custodians
had been thinking. and. the result OF their
thoughts they asked her how II was that people IN
the country should take 50 much trouble Tor people
they had never seen
year boys from the schools for crippled chill
cre1. with great clothes bs ske1s, which Iney MI
with bouquets to carry away. and when the Vaca-
ton schools begin. pupils from them 90 the same
Occasionally consignment Of fresh eggs trult or
vegetables comes IN from some warm hearled
country friend. Sometimes. when people go 10
Europe for the summer. they VIII leave ORDERS
with the gardener their country place 10 send
weekly boxes OF flowers or fruit. or both This
was done this sumner by Mr.. Breese, OF South
Pserpont Morgan before ne sailed early in the
sumner was d big consignment OF flowers and
strawberries from his place at Highland Falls
Some city people when they clean house in the
spring. viii send eli the jelly left from the
Winters store The Flower Mission. There is
Il is something all sick people eat, and not
I'll one has seen the fare in the great hospitals
the island can ne judge what IL means TO add a
little del.cscy 70 the menu
There is one kindergarten teacher n town who
week hv week the season through. goes TO the
She IS Miss : Michel. who teaches kindergarten
at No 80 Aladison-st Each Thursday night after
school she gees and gets the flowers and the next
Gay takes them 10 school The children sing songs
about them and then they make colored drawings
of them
The Flower Mission is a most contented society
II has only two things ask-hTst, that country
friends should pick new blossoms and pack them
with care. IN order that they may nol fall 10
pieces being unpacked; second that more vol
basement Of No lO4 East Twenteth-st. 70 take the
August