The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-22
A JAUNT THROUGH THE
EASTER FLOWER MARKETS
Every City in the Union Has One Day in the Year Which Some
how Best Expresses the Esprit of the Place-1n Blr
mngham 1t Is At Easter tide and the Flowers
Send Forth Message-What Flower
Isn't Like Some Person?
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLE

/ We were just about to board a car from
the South Highlands when we heard
from little old one horse wagon the
voice of queer little old man crying:
"Jawn-quils! Virginny jawn-auils, Anna
Arandal jawn-quils. Cheap"
IF we don't buy some of those yellow
| things" l declared, I'll be lol1ing upon
| this old world as a Jaundiced sort of
-ouilsr' came the shrill voice
again from the topmost seat in the cart.
| The wagon stopped and such an array OF
spring flowers you've never seen.
"A perfect jungle of heliotrope," Peggy
exclaimed. They'd never find us If we
secreted ourselves in there. It's as safe
as Louisiana canebrake.
| I read a book once that opened with a
description of a shining white road end
| ing in a heliotrope shaded villa In the
south of France.
| One sentence sticks eternally in my
memory.
| "And never afterward, so long as she
| lived, did she smell the heliotrope, that
| 1t did not bring back to her mid summer
noon and that land"
| Heiotrope somehow means Easter and
| spring, and the long, sultry summer-in
Birmingham.
| Somehow this season the little helotrope
which in flower language means II love
you'-seems to have grown ambitious.
Waves of purple heliotrope in little pots
and big ones fill the air in every flower
shop that you step Into this Easter
tide.
"As if anyone's nose" Peggy cried
could individualize any special odor in
such bouquet of spring sweetness
i've never seen so many hyacinths," :"
said, ignoring her remark 1.-The fat, lit
tie, 'tubby' blue ones and the rotund lit
tie pink ones that go hand In hand
with that particular phlegmatic blue, and
still others Of great waxen stalk, bearing
aloft thick petals of white"
"And the tulips" Peggy chimed in.
"Such tulipsl It's poor house indeed
that cannot afford its own pot of tulips
this Easter. In earthen ware pots stand
prim little pannier skrted tulip ladies in
any color you like best. My choice is the
white streal1ed, faint with maidens
blush pink, and the cowslip colored ones.
Somehow they always seem to me to smell
the sweetest"
"And the Easter lilies" suggested
But then everyone takes them for grant
ed, of course. Slim, delicate, swaying,
fragrant, Easter lilies; they are as much
a part of the day as the church chimes,
or the new Easter frock or the Easter
music sung by the choristers"
"Curious intelligence" Peggy observed,
isn't it that Easter lilies have? How do
they know when to bloom? Easter is a
movable festival, yet the Easter lilies
seem to know, because whenever it comes
they are there with the goods blooming.
regal, sweet-just as they grow without
considering Had you noticed it?"
Personally, 1 like pink roses.
They seem to stay contented with
you such long time.
Somehow they are so satisfactory
and companionable and human.
But as for that matter, whatever
flower your heart turns to this Easter
tide may have Its affection gratified.
There are the gay little theatrical
pink Azaleas, Just as engaging as If
they were flowers with real heart.
They serve their purpose just as
ladies of the ballet do, and all the other
artificialities of life.
"But like Azaleas.' Peggy declared.
.tThey remind me so much of-of peo-
ple"
What flower doesnt?" I demanded.
Take the little squatty pink hydran-
geas. They remind me of poorly
rouged women. Pale, they might pass;
but when artifcially colored up for the
Easter parade, they seem SO pathetic.
Fancy person buying one of those dis
|contented, miscast, flowers with all the
others to choose from. I'll take a pink
rose for mine every time. It's much
more human than the rest
81 remember the first Easter 1 ever
lspent in Birmingham said Peggy
lthoughtfully. ut wasn't so very many
lyears ago. 1t was with a family of
people who loved flowers as you and
[ do, Dolly. Who really loved them. /
still hold the picture in my mind of
an aged negro bearing a silver salver
on Easter morn, on which was ranged
as many Easter flowers with individu-
al cards tied to them for the different
guests in the house, as Santa Claus
bore presents around the Christmas
tree I knew as child. So Birmingham,
| to my mind, is the one city that ex-
presses the joy of the resurrection on
Easter morn, with her flowers and
flowers, and still more f1owers-and yet
lflowers