The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-05-11
PROSE POEM TRIBUTE TO
FLORIDA
II is a Land Of Poetry and Romance
Its Beauties Set to New Numbers
and No Longer Born to Blush
Unseen
(Mrs Maud B. Little, in Florida
Review

(Mrs. Maud B. Little, in Florida
Review
Long years ago, one bright Easter
morning, a foreign craft tossed over
the foamy Atlantic toward the east
ern shores Of our own fair state.
Once again the brave captain strained
his eyes ere the blue waves,-behind,
before. took up his glad, exultant cry
OF Land Ahead. Then, as his YES
sci grated upon the pebbly shore,
think you a more thankful few ever
did homage, such as did those weary
voyagers upon Florida's most event
full Easter Sabbath? Methinks our
bright-hued blossoms nodded to them
JOYOUS welcome, sweet aromas from
our evergreen forests among the tall
pines rustled one glad symphony in
honor of the occasion! What wonder
then, that Ponce de Leon, like the
patriot of old. thanked God and took
fresh courage ere going forward in
quest OF greater NIClOIleS.
Quite rightly is Florida termed
The Land of Flowers" since those of
every hue adorn her borders, bios
soming along the highways, in the
hammocks, marshes and everywhere.
Even in the jungles never penetrated,
and among a wild chaos of vine and
bramble, we are confident that:
Many a flower is born to blush I'M
seen
And waste its sweetness on the desert
air"
Take, if you will, the first flower of
the season, "A violet by a messy
stone, half hidden from the eye"
Many species have we, from light to
purple, symbolic of love and faith
fitness, and then the white, which
breathes of modesty and candor.
While chilling blasts and snow in our
northern chimes rob the earth of all
| its verdue, our violets bend in smiles
to the fragrant dew and the golden
sunlight Of our tropical skies. And
while our northern friends seek the
seclusion of their warm firesides, We
go wandering over
| Banks that slope to the southern
| skies,
Where languid violets love to lie
And the in her sunny garden, mil
ady gathers huge punches of the
sweeter blossoms to deck her festive
board, to adorn the person, to please
an unforgotten friend, sometimes to
scatter along a bridal way and often
to lay above some heart which made
life fragrant with loving deeds, all
unseen by those eyes which were
perhaps as blue as the viOlet'S own
deep depths-eyes which will never
see until they open in that beautiful
country where the flowers bloom for
lever and the sun is always bright.
Dame Fashions latest freak is to i'm
itate our modest blossom in great pro
fusion and borrow for it a fragrance
not it's own, but as for us We will
Ipluck the real live thing:
But covers all the bank with blue"
Next in order comes the yellow
ljassamine, which in it's grace and ele
gance twines around the live oak and
the bay, fiinging from its fairy-like
bells an odor delicate and unsurpass
ed by any fair exotic of our south
land. How we gather long tendrils
of them to give color here and there
bring near to Natures heart those
who admire So Of all the jasmine
family We love this variety best, the
delicacy and fragrance of which has
frequently afforded metaphor and
theme to the poet.
And then comes the orange bios
som, wild? yes, quite often, but none
the less fragrant, for its Punishment
Sweet blossoms of purity, of thee
have the poets raved and strangers
imagined many things, But to our own
bride belongs the original, snowwhite
blossoms to Irvine among the tresses
or to fashion among the draperies OF
her wedding attire. Fair flowers OF
the southland, we honor thee, welCOm
ing thy coming each year so joyously.
About thee there is a daintinesS that
touches one like poetry, a fragrance
that sanctifies the air and a frailty
which is prophetic of the autumn OF
our own lives,
Then later, when spring, so full OF
sweet days and roses, slips silently
iamong us, with its rush of blossoms
birds and bees:
When daises pied and violets blue
And lady-smockS all silver white,
And cuckOO-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight
'Tis then that we welcome our own
majestic, high-souled magnolia bios
som. How we admire the first i'm
maculate buds of the season and
drink in their perfume as they un
fold their petals one by one. How
We admire the tall. stately tree with
its thick glossy leaves as it stands a
veritable queen of the hammock. and
though its lovely blooms are so fleet
ing. yet We would not exchange them
for others of any cline,