The sun., 1916-09-03

NJ O. =.

NJ O.. y. HARRISON
There are no wastes In h economy
Of nature. Think Of the immense
amount Of skill and art expressed In
the vast fields Of beauty from the
tropics to the poles. They were not
planted and nourished for nothing.
The world has Just begun to appre-
ciatc its resources Until within the
last 200 years the world has been poor
through the neglect and waste Of It's
capital.
How much forethought was laid out
on oil. steam. coal and electricity.
Flowers have been neglected and re-
earded as an incident In the evolution
of things and not as having a most
important mission In meeting the eter-
nal hunger for beauty In the human
soul. My friend Mr.. Parker was for
merry superintendent Of the grounds
of the Old Colony Railroad. Ills duty
was to beautify the station grounds,
owe unsightly banks with vines,
shrubs and flowers. He was n man OF
taste and energy and Don transformed
the appearance OF the line. Tho d.
rectors told him there was no Use try
ing to do anything in the city. for the
hoodlums would destroy everything.
Leave that I me-" he said. When he
was ready to improve the grounds in
Boston the children gathered about his
men anxious to know what they were
doing.
Mr.. Parker said: "Children, you
have few opportunities. The rich have
flowers and you rave none. Now. we
are planting these for you. but you
must not pick them. They belong to
you. but II all should pick or destroy
them they would be destroying your
property"
The precaution was taken OF bring
Ing In many more flowers than were
needed. Some plants were in bloom in
pots and he showed tho children how
TO plant them and care for them.
There vas an eager hunt for tin ans
In which to grow the surplus speci-
mems. The flowers were never modest
ed. but throngs Of eager. ragged little
ones would gather around them. de-
lighted with their unfolding loneliness.
Jacob Riis. born in Denmark. in his
] young manhood waded through pow
erty and slowly rose to prominence.
He became friend and co-worker with
Roosevelt and did more for the slums
perhaps than any other man. He gives
this account of the mission OF flowers
and their marvellous influence on the
poor.
He says: when the daisies
bloomed In the spring the children
brought in armsful from the fields
and bade me take them TO the 'poors'
In the city. I did as they hade me,
but never got more than half a block
from the ferry with my burden. The
street children vent wild over the
pos;ss. They pleaded ana :oush: 20
get ear me, and when ] had none
left they sat in the cutters and wept
with grief"
Finally he succeeded in awakening
a broader interest in his work and as
the trains arrived the people had their
arms loaded with flowers for the poor.
"Flowers came pouring in from
every corner Of the compass. They
came In boxes. In barrels and IN
thunderstorm field and garden. from
town and country. Express wagons
carrying flowers TANNED Mulberry
street and the police came out to
marvel at the view. Tho Office was
smothered In fragrance. a bowling
mob Of children besieged II. Reporters
forgot their rivalries and lent a hand
with enthusiasm. The superintendent
OF police detailed Ave stout patrolmeH
to carry the abundance TO points of
convenient distribution.
Wherever we ven frctful babies
stopped crying as these messengers
Of love were laid against their wan
cheeks. Slovenly women courtesied
and made way.
The tenants Of the barracks
stopped quarrellinE to help keep or
der. The worst street became sud
denly good and neighborly. \ year
or two after Father John Tabb, priest
and poet. wrote. upon reading my
statement that 7 had seer an arm
full of daisies keep the peace better
than a policeman's club:
reacenakers yc, the daisies from the
rpbreathing worthless messages ~
love.
Soothing OF earth-born brethren the toll
And lifting cen the ~lonlicst above