The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-04-13

Uef dppfOacH, Dut all unlllIeu nature
smiles and adOrns itself in manifold
hues treasured from Iris last kiss. The
landscape is changed under the flood
of new aspiration and man is enticed
TO go forth and become acquainted
anew with our sisters, the flowers" 4"
as dear old Francis of Assist called
them.
out with the flowers, as we know
and enjoy them. we think Of them by
individual names, for our minds seem
to demand IA specializing title for each
thing we encounter, whether il be pie
ture Of song, story or natural object.
When we consider the names Of How
ers in their historical development, we
are brought face TO face with the fact
that Easter really changed the uomcn-
claturc of our floral world.
Before Christianity swept over
Europe, thc plants were named for
the pagan dcitieS. We have today Il
remnisccncc OF this cnillng in We
nus Fly-trap and Jupitcr's Beard.
With the ascendancy of our faith, the
vegetable kingdom had 10 be rcchriS-
tened, just as the Auman converts
were.
The Saviour Himself had few lants
named for Him, perhaps from Il feel
ing Of reverence We have. however.
ChriS's Thorn. which is supposed 10
have supplied tie material for the
Crown. His mother was much hon
ored. All blossoms with Virgin"
pretixed, as Virgins Bower, were
named for her, and mosc, too that
have maiden" as Madcn's Hair and
any form of Mary" as Marigold.
Each flower that reaches us today
with Lady" in its title was originally
"Our Lady, as "Our Lady's Slipper
and Our Lady's TresScS." I'm those
early days Of Christianity many of the
saints were paid respect i'm floral terms,
AS we have Swervcd TO yCculariSm, we
have supplantcd their claims and have
retained only a few. rs Saint Johns
Wort, Saint Peters Wreath. Saint
Andrews Cross Saint Josrph's Lily,
and Veronica.
Our ancestors were rs eager for cN-
plantations rs we to-day. and not hav-
ing our advance in science, they inter
prctcd pccuIiaritiCa Of the flowers 10
suit their own ideas. From the inter
pretatiOn OF plants ON the economic
side grew the great Doctrine of sigma
lures that ruled the medical world
down to the seventeenth century. This
doctrine of signatures explained that
THE mercy If GOd-makcth t. graSSe
to grove upon the mountains and the
herbeS for the use of man, and hath
not only stamped Lpon them distinct
form, but also given them particular
signatures, whereby Il man may read
even in lcgiblc characters the use of
them According to this theory.
plants bearing red fruit were good for
the blood; the barbcrry, because Of It's
yellow bark, was n cure for iaundice:
the trembling grass deferred attacks
of ague; the oNaliS. having cordate
leaves, was Il preventive of heart dis.
ease; Our Lady'S Thistle. with its nu-
merOus prickleS, mcndtd stitch i'm the
side; the SolomonS Seal 10y certain
marks in its root. indicated that il
would seal up all wounds, and this
root, writes Gerarde, the English sur
geon of the sixteenth century, "talieth
away in one night, or two at the most.
any bruise, black or blue 81 OTIS. gotten
by falls or W, mems wilIfulneSS i'm
stumbling upon their husbands fists"
Our English literature aboundS i'm al
lusicns TO this doctrine of signatures.
as when Milton in
Then purged with euphrasy ma rue
His visual orbs, for he had much to sce'
makes Gabriel clear Adams vision
with the little euphrasiC, or eyebright.
which because of dark. pupil-likc
spot on its corolla, was considered Il
cure for weak eyes.
While evolving the doctrine oe sigma
lures on the one hand, our forefathers
developed on the ether spiritual lore