The Lamar register., 1904-06-08
W. c. T. U. COLUMN.
Nora w. FRIsBIE, Editor.
The Development Of the FIower
Mission.

BY Ethel Austin Shrigley. Natl. Supt.
Just when and where the Flower
Mission existed We shall never know.
Probably ever since the time of the
Garden of Eden some one has been
comfortsd and cheered by the flow
srs. More than seven hundred years
before Christ, Isaiah used the gar
den and its buds and blossoms as
types of righteouness and joy, glad
ness and praise. "Condsider the
lilies of the field" has, through the
ages since Christ uttered the words,
bssn . balm and an inspiration to
many . life. Some one has said,
ITO consider the lilies with Christ il
to feel the bounty and beauty of Hi
love and to find His spirit in them"
In considering this one flower we are
taught to consider all flowers aud are
led to the love and admiration Of all
nature.
Many years ago IN England the
Baroness Burdett- Coutts and the
Earl Of Shsftesbury, two of the
worlds great philanthropists, became
interested in one of the first organ
lied Flower Missions With their
help the wealth of country flowers
was conveyed to London and dis
tributed in the hospitsls and tene-
ments of that large city. The first
Flower Mission in the United States
was about 1859. A young woman
living in a suburb Of Boston carried
some flowers from her home to the
city and gave them to the children
Oh the streets. Seeing the pleasure
with which these were received, it
occurred to her that an organization
might be formed whereby the beau
tiful blossoms of the country could
bs distributed throughout the city.
After consultation with some of the
leading clergymen, church was
opened for the purpose, and the Boz
ton Flower Mission was begun. Ii
was probably an account of the
work Of this young girl that was
written in 1877 for the New York
Observer. Was it not part Of
Gods great plan that q copy of this
paper should fall into the hands of
that patient sufferer in the far away
city Of Louisville, KY?
A few years before. Jennie Casse-
day had been q happy. hearted girl.
but an accident compelled her to
spend the remainder Of her life
shut in" In spite Of intense suff-
sring, her soul was filed with de-
sire to help others. Quickly she
embraced the Flower Mission idea,
knowing from experience how much
joy the "silsnt fragrant messengers"
had brought to her. She could not
gather, neither could she distribute
the flowers, but she had that rare
gift, the ability to inspire and guide
others. Through her influence the
Louisville Flower Mission WAS sue
osssfully organized.
In 1882 the National Convention
Of the Womsn's Christian Temper
ance Union met at Louisville. Miss
Willard was guest at Miss Casse-
days home. and during the visit ask.
cd the flower missioner to tell her of
this work. Always ready to see the
connection Of good movement with
the temperance cause, Miss Willard
instantly became interested, and in
few months the Flower Mission
Department WAS adopted with Miss
Cassedy rs superintendent For
more than ten years she lived to lead
this work, and what wonderf, ]
monument has she made! Every
whore all over the world, wherever
our union exists, this beautiful de-
partment is established. Miss VII
lard said Miss Casseday's life was an
example that from the most diff
cult conditions we can wiring out
the most celestial success; from the
slembic Of PAIN distil the choicest
character; from loneliness and contra.
Asaksax, b1 l;fkol l:-l