The San Francisco call., 1910-09-18
FLOWER LORE

turn her affection she died Of a broken
heart, and Hebe, taking pity upon her'
transformed her into a water MY Long
after when Hercules went sailing WIN
Jason in search OF the Golden FIeece
he took with him Hylas, a youth whom
he loved as his own son. When they
reached Hellespont they landed ana
prepared to rest. Hylas was sent 10
find a spring where they might get
some water to drink. He found spring
near a pool Of water, surrounded by
green rushes and maidenhair. The
surface OF the pool was covered with
white lilies, each one the home OF a
beautiful water nymph.
When Hylas put his pitcher down to
dip up the water the maids all chung to
his hand and drew him down. down
into the depths OF the pool. one or the
Argonauts shouted that the wind was
fair for sailing. Hylas endeavored to
go, but the water nymphs held him
fast. Hercules called him loudly three
times and the youth heard, but could
not answer, and the Argonauts sailed
mournfully away. Lotus was avenged.
And this, they say, is the origin Of the
yellow water lily.
THE LOTUS EATERS
Some writer's insist that the magic
food, upon which the lotus eaters sub
sisted and which caused whoever par
took of it to forget everything in the
dreamy languor of the present was
made from the seed of the Indian lotus.
When Ulysses in his wanderings
came to the enchanted island he sent
three chosen men to explore the coun-
try The islanders met them and enter
tanned them hospitality, but after they
had eaten of the food offered them they
forgot country and countrymen and re-
fused to leave that happy land, where
all things always seemed the same"
Their captain ordered them bound hand
and foot and forcibly brought on ship
board. Then he weighed anchor and
hastily sailed away from the fatal
shore.
The japanese hold the lotus in scarce
ly less veneration than their oriental
neighbors. 1t is to them a constant
symbol of purity and truth. AS 1T is
associated with death and the spirit
world, 1T is considered inappropriate
as decoration for festivities. Ger
tain sects believe that it is the flower
of paradise, and when death occurs on
earth a new water lily appears on the
surface of the lake in Nirvana, and the
soul makes its entrance into the land
of the blest at the unfolding of its
own flower
In China the Shingmoo, a holy
mother, is represented holding a lotus
in her hand, and few of their temples
are without some representation of the
plant M. Hue, who is one of the first
writer's to give any account of the
Chinese to the world, says that the
roots and seeds of the plant are a
great resource in culinary preparations"
and that in whatever manner 1t is
dressed it is delicious and wholesome"
The leaves are made use Of instead
of paper, especially by merchants for
wrapping up parcels. And the Chinese
are very fond of expatiating upon the
beauty of the lotus cleaning In the
moonlight, illumined by swarms of glow
worms and f1refiies.
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE
LOTUS AND THE CROSS
Isis, the goddess of fertility and
abundance, was regarded by the ad-
herents of the Hindu religion as the
queen of heaven, and cakes made of
corn and lotus seeds were the favorite
offerings made to her. In the con-
spiracy which broke out in British In
dia in June, 1857, and which resulted
in the terrible Indian mutiny, these
cakes, accompanied by lotus blossom,
were circulated among the Sepoys, to
notify them that they must rally to
the standard of Buddha, and whatever
other element entered into that strife
the ambition of princes, the desire for
gain or the intrigue of rival nations
the student of history will not fail to
discern a deeper meaning in the con-
lict between the lotus and the cross.
The order of the lotus is conferred
upon those who have attained prom
inence in the administration OF British
India and the collar of the order is
ornamented with the heraldic rose OF
England, alternating with the lotus of
India.