The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-12
SUNDAY MAY 4
IS MOTHERS DAY.
Wearing White Flower in Memory Of
Mother or Sending Flowers II
She 10 Living, viii be
Observances.
IS NATIONAL IN. SCOOP
Movement Began With Miss Anna
Jarvis in 1909 and Was
Taken up by Every
ou,.

Wnlle the sane wholesome people
or America never wear their hearts on
their sleeves, a strong current of sen
tlment, intense as American patriot
ism runs through the nation, and It
10 this which has nourished and sup
ported the Morthers' day movement,
until now 1t is a nationally observed
holiday. Credit for the beginning Of
the movement is due to Miss Anna
jarvis, who started the ball rolling in
1909, after which it was taken up by
florists, magazines, newspapers and
organizations, until congressional res
olutions were n ade and approved Nav
8, 1914, setting aside the second Sun
day In May on which to pay specia!
tribute Of love and honor to~mothers,
living and dead.
In the beginning, the white carna-
ton was designated as the special
flower for the day, but the fact that
the demand seen exceeded the supply,
showed the impossibility of having
any special blossom. One of the
floral magazines came forward to
change the direction of the demand
slightly:
For mothers at home, flowers
bright,
),
So, while the white carnation is
especially popular on Mothers day,
roses, lilies, ported flowers to tend
lovingly, and indeed any flower. how
ever simple, is appropriate for the
day. Any living mother will appreci-
ate her family wearing or presenting
her with her favorite flowers, and the
memory of mothers who have gone on
will be honored in a subtly beautiful
manner by the use of any flowers and
blossoms.
The growth Of the movement has
been wonderful, for it took root in
the hearts of men, women and chill
dren, was watered with tears of mem
DRY and thrived in the sunshine of the
purest of love-that between mother
and child. The larger cities pay even
more attention to the day than the
smaller towns, the general public be-
ing reused to its observance largely
through the united action of florists
and advertisements. :.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.,
is doing much to impress the sen:-
ment Of the day on hundreds, by. pre-
senting to each passenger on it's
trains on Mothers day, a carnation.
The telegraph companies are lined up
and are proving powerful factor In
the day, as each telegraph
message envelope. sent previous TO
the day, contains a pointed reminder
OF Mothers day. Orders for flowers
are telegraphed from one end Of the
country to another, reminding the lit
tie mother at home, that her children
scattered in various states, are think
ing of her and that distance is no
barrier to love- Washington Irving
said. 1.-THE love Of mother is never
exhausted, 1t never changes, it never
tires. 1t endures through ill. In good
repute, in bad repute, in the face Of
the worlds condemnation, mothers
love lives on" 1t Is this love which
ia paid a delicate compliment on Sun
day, May IA. in this country.
While no organized movement has
been made to carry out the Mothers
day idea by any public meeting or pro-
gram. It is expected that thousands OF
Keokuk's sons and daughters viii.
show their respect and love for moth.
er next Sunday by the means adopted
on Mothers day, wearing flower IN
her memory or presenting her with
flowers If she Is still present.