Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-23
Bv Ella Wheeler Wilcox

colored petals, that she might
hand down her peculiarities to
future generations.
Woman originally was un-
clothed. The flower, originally,
was without petals. But as time
went on, cunning flowers OBJ
served that the insects who visit
ed them in search of honey were
most attracted by brilliant mass
es of color, which the stamens of
some plants displayed.
At the same time they observed
that the plants so visited were
fertilized by the insects and their
species perpetuated.
Even the Flowers Know.
Then into the mystical hearts
Of the flowers crept the ambitious
desire to be brilliant and gay in
color, to attract the bee and the
beetle, and to survive in their
children. The more they thought
about it the more effort they
made to achieve their aim, and
so their stamens broadened and
f1attened into petals, and strange
new colors began to tint these
yellow petals; blue because 1t
pleased the bee; purple to at
tract the beetle, and red to suit
the fancy of a meat loving blue
bottle fly.
This is the accepted doctrine of
men who have devoted their lives
TO the study of plants.
1t Is a scientific fact.
And woman has this support of
science in her efforts to beautify
herself with garments which rem
der her more attractive in mems
eyes.
Every religion represents an
gels as beings of beauty attired
in lovely robes, and heaven is al
ways described as a place of sur
passing beauty. 1t is, therefore,
right for us to anticipate heaven
and the angelic state by making
ourselves and our homes here as
beautiful as possible. But remem-
Der always the greater power Of
the mental over the material.
Home is the earthly expression
of what we will find waiting for
us after death.
If you are letting the fretful
tone and the irritable mood and
the nervous habit destroy the
comfort of your household you
are wasting the whole effort Of
your life. the effort to bestow
happiness.
If you sit down to a gloomy
table, where dependency and III
temper prevent sociability, you
might better stand in the bread
line now, and take your repast in
the park. There, at least, you
would not depress others by your
presence.
If man prepared a bower OF
beauty for his family and then
introduced a swarm of mosqui-
toes and carefully bred the insect
so that the bower was never free
from them, you would think him
fool or a lunatic.
Yet many a man and many q
woman do a similar act by build
ing and furnishing a beautiful
residence and filing it with irri-
liability. petty tempers and self
ishness.
Irritating trifies present them
selves to every life. They await
us at every corner along the jour
ney.
They should be treated as tri-
fies, and brushed aside; not dig
nified to the position of tragedies,
and permitted to destroy the
peace of a household, to shadow
feasts and darken the hours Of
repose with bitter memories.
When we allow the small wor-
rles and annoyances of daily life,
the mistakes of others and the
jarrtng of domestic machinery to
ruin the pleasure OF a home we
insult God
Happiness for Others.
Money, education, position.
power-all are worse than useless
unless they bring helpfulness and
p happiness to others.
To do this they must be sup
plemented by affection. good will.
self-control Though you give TO
your family all the advantages
wealth can offer you are worse
than a highwayman IL you deprive
your household Of peace, love and
contentment in the family circle.
In fact, in this pursuit Of beauty.
in this effort to- find satisfaction
for the beauty hunger which is
born in every soul, there is an
immortal phrase which may serve
as the best guide: SEEK YE
FIRST THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN AND ALL OTHER
THINGS SHALL. BE ADDED
THEREUNTO.