The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-09
Tho sunsiow.r and Oscar wiIde


 I said that flowers have associations. 1 should have said memories. and that they turn for us the pages Of the past, strangely, often weirdly-orange blos- sons bring before me fair young bride for whose future happiness l ut tered such heartfelt Amen when Gods priest gave the benediction-with the wax-like Cape Jessamine comes be- fore me the faces of dear school com panions, many of whom have passed from the scenes of earth. And ever, with the gorgeous Sunfower' memory brings Oscar Wilde and the young men and women who made society's charm ing circle in the spring of 1882. The tour of Wilde to America had been her. aided by the press of two nations, England and the United States. Ev- anywhere homage had been paid to him and sunhowers strewn before him. Of course his visit and lecture in Mont gomery was to be a notable event. It happened that the very evening ap- pointed for the lecture was the one that had also been chosen for a re- union of some fraternity order, think the Phi Della, and 1t was suggested that after Wilde's lecture he should be in- vited to join the gay throng in the dance hall above. Of course McDon- aids opera house was crowded. the beauty and cbivalry of the Capital City. eager to hear the Apostle of Beauty, the man who had forced this recog- milton of himself as such on two hem ispheres"-the subject was Decorative Art" His dress was consistent with his theme. Ho wore a colonial cos tune, knee brooches and buckles, silk stockings and slippers and in his but toniere the sunfiower with its golden petals. The lecture over. he mingled with the charming young men and wo- men In the hall above. Twas there and then that with an eye trained to the beautiful he signalled out a fair blonde with chiselled features. and ex- claimed, The loyeliest woman I have seen in America" What a classifica- ton from the Apostle of Beauty. Mont gomery not only felt complimented but all Southern womanhood; and indeed, to those who saw her that night she ever remained a vision of beauty: she was clad in a delicate shade of green silk: her flowers not the conventional sunfower of that evening but Water Lilies. Could anything have been lovelier? No wonder hls artistic eye was spellbound. A quarter of a cen tury has passed and what the horoscope held for those gay dancers can now be read In life-like letters. The beautiful blonde was welded to a man of promise, but scarce had one year of happiness passed when Death. who pays no homage to beau ty gathered her into his garner. an other, a lovely type of womanhood, welded and knew the sorrow of wId- owhood. then In after years gathered in the broken chords of life and reigns as of yore, but afar off in the epau- letted circles of the U. S A. The sweet song bird of that season. she who was the prima donna in the amateur performance, Patience has wandered to Northern elimes; others have met their Fate. have been begirt wi.h' smlling infancy. and buIlded Christian homes
 Roosevelt would say. These are the greatest of all" And what of their partners? Those manly young men who stood that night on the very threshold of life where youth and manhood meet--the husband of the beautiful blonde has never plighted his troth to another he has a voice in our national councils and promises "the applause of listening Senates to com mand." one 's a power both in the church and community ever uphold ing the things that are beautiful and of good report. some are financial po- tentates; another. a cotton king whose ready wit and cordial ways have made | him the best beloved of many: another greets you at the very threshhoId of the business department of Alabama great and purest journal; and what ] of him at whose bidding the fratarnal