The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-22

the Hard-workiag Woman--sow Celia Thaxter Arranged Flowers And FOiiase--Enectivenes of tho Single Lily or Rose-How BIos.oms May Be Kept Fresh--Harmonixing Vase and Flowers.
 BY MARGARET E. SANGsTER. (Copyright 1906, by Joseph B. Bowles) ] ] am writing on<a a summer day, with every window open and the fragrance of heneysuckle and roses pervading the air. Everywhere fields and gardens are rioting in flowers. Nature is luxur- ious in the profusion of her bounty at mid and what with rambler roses entwining the cottage porch and clematis making an exquisite screen, and morning giories clambering over stone walls. there is not humble home anywhere on the continent that need fear comparison with palace On the coast where the salt breezes sweep in from the sea and the fog ofen hangs its wet blanket for awhile over the dawining day, the flowers are gorgeous in color and grow with amazing swiftness Farther inland, on mountain farms that in winter are buried in snow. one finds verandas and garden plots rich with every variety of blossoning plant. Many hard-work- ing woman expresses the latent poetry
 
 on her garden and the flowers look up In her face as If they wanted to conn pensate her for narrowness and drudg- cry, and to give her the joy of which the years have cheated her
 I spent a summer day years ago with Celia Thaxter at her home on one of the Isles of Shoals. The sound of the sea was in our ears. the white surf broke on the shore. The poets house was long and low and all about 1t there was an exquisite garden over flowing with flowers of every name and kind, the largest space being given to the old-fashioned darlings that every one knows and loves. There were lady's slipper and princes feather. love-lies-bleeding, ribbon grass, pam { ssies, lilies, larkspur, migonette, yer bena. roses, geraniums. fox and I know not what else. The garden was simply a wilderness of beauty and in the house hundreds of vases held cut flowers, each vase being filled by the mistress and her maids with fresh specimens the moment there were signs of wilting or fading. The man. tels were banked with flowers. the walls had a look of being covered with them, they stood on the plano. on tables and on the floor and In the midst of all, was the graceful splendid owner of the Paradise in dress of silver gray with a silver arrow fastening her great knot of snowy hair. The whole pic- ture fixed itself in memory once for all.
 Mrs Thaxter's rule for arranging cut flowers was infiexibie. Each vase held flowers of a single variety, re- lieved only by thelr own foliage. The fiamelike nasturtiums were massed in vases deep encug to afford plenty of water for the stems and fiaring at the top that the flowers might not be crowded. With them were a few of their own green leaves. Carnations were arranged in tall vases of crystal clearness. Roses were in bowls. Fleur de lis were in opaque jars, the rule be- ing in every instance so to mass the flowers as to give an effect of breadth and color.
 Flowers should never be crowded Sometimes single rose or a single lily should have vase all to itself. When flowers are arranged in clusters or punches they may be contrasted<r but no one should try to group too many tints or too many flowers in one vase, cup or bowl.
 Certain small Aowers may be kept in