Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-03-20

hue Seaborn Aphrodite in her happy wander
ines suddenly appeared before them wondrously
fair and bright and white as the foam OF 1he
waves from which she sprang. The lilies trem
bIed before her beauty and grew pale with
jealousy that ever after they blossomed white
First the goddess Juno chose it as her fayorite
flower and then passing to the Virgin Mary, If
was dedicated to the early Christian church
Besides being the chosen flower of the church
it is also an imperial blossom. Away back IN the
DAYS of 1913 Garcus ", king of Navarro, estaD
lished the Order of the Knights Of st. Mary OF
the Lily and another Order of the Lily was
afounded by Ferdinand of Aragon Dundee carries
W1ilies argent its arms and beautiful Florence
claims the queenIy flowers its emblem
THE sweet forget-me-not that blooms for nap
DIV lovers" has more beautiful legends clinglng
to it's than any other flower
According to one beautiful tale, the Lord called
the plants In the Garden of Eden before him to
give them their and color. AS he spoke
to one after another tiny flower thought itself
unnoticed and fearful of being quite overlooked,
it timdly pleaded, Dear Lord, forget me not
The great Creator turned sternly toward the lit
tie plant that had dared interrupt him, then
seeing how sorely afraid it was he gently smiled
upon it, gave it for its color the heavens own
blue and called it Forgetme-not, as a reminder
that it had once been foolish as TO doubt him.
It is the Persians who have fashioned beaut1
full legend to tell how it is that these flowers are
scattered over the earth the stars are spread
over the sky. According to them, one morning
of glory when the world was new an angel stood
weeping outside the closed gate of Paradise. He
had fallen in that he had loved a fair daughter
of Earth When his eyes had rested on her as
she sat on a rivers bank weaving forgetme-nots
in her hair heaven and his mission to earth were
alike forgotten. Now he might no more enter
in until his beloved had all over the earth
the forget-me-not. He returned to her and hand
in hand they wandered, planting everywhere the
sweet azure flowers. When at last there remaia-
ed on earth no spot barren Of these blossoms,
they turned again to the gate and found 1t open.
Together they entered in, for the angels great
love had lifted the TO Paradise.
Some authorities there who do not harh
back to the days of the Garden of Eden but tell
a pathetic tale of the Danube the origin of the
forgetme-not's The blue waves of the
river washed the foundation walls OF a brave
Knights ancestral castle He had but just come
home from the wars and laid his honors at the
feet of his lady love. His bride and he We're
wandering along the rivers bank when he ex-
claimed, Look yonder; there upon that islet;
see those star-like blossoms blue thine eyes"
Instantly he sprang into the river and swan
toward the flowers. In safety he reached the isle
and grasped the fragile prize but when he tried
to return with them to the shore his heavy army
made him helpless in the current. Tossing the
flowers to his frantic bride with the agonizing
cry '.Forgetme-not" he sank from sight.