The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-05-26
MEMORIAL DAYS
OF PAST YEARS
RI - ACRILEGE, we would have
- - called it in my girlhood.
to have failed to give

RI - ACRILEGE, we would have
- - called it in my girlhood.
to have failed to give
very able assistance in
celebrating Memorial day." said a
woman Of middle age. There was.
first of all, the delight of gathering
the flowers. How eagerly we watched
the bushes, hoping that the loveliest
blooms would open in time, or delay
their coming till the great day. Peo-
MES we could count on. Snowballs
helped, despite their droopiness, and
spirea was always to be had. We
gasped in admiration over Miss Amy's
contributions of exquisite garlands of
the pliable bridal wreath, with touches
of scarlet columbine, or the faint pink
Of wild honeysuckle clustered here and
there, but we could never evolve any
thing half so lovely. They were at
once our Joy and our despair"
Boys were useful when it came to
wild-hower gathering, even if picking
garden posies was not their forte.
They knew where early laurel and wild
azalea were to be found and they
could be trusted to bring home colum-
bine, wild geranium and buttercups.
Tor there never was Memorial day
with too many flowers. There was
the town hall to decorate, where the
veterans assembled for brief ses-
sion before the march to the ceme-
terry. The G. A. r. ladies saw to that,
and beautiful it was to childish eyes
when, brave with bunting and odorous
with flowers, you saw it the night
before, under the shelter of mothers
enfolding Bingham apron.
There is only one proper sort of
bouquet for village Memorial day, and
sorry would one woman be should she
ever see it superseded by anything
modern. An up-to-date florist would
be Mortified at its makeup and bewail
its lack of grace; an artist might
take it as horrible example Of crud-
ity Of color scheme. But to many, the
stiff, tightly-tied bunch Of posies, con-
ical, or bullet-shaped, or fattened into
pol SlSOlo1 GU uloh, 1ACouS lulu6lcu
pathos and pleasure. To the making
of these nosegays went all the patience
and the primitive taste of the grown
daughters of the household. There
must be a rosebud for the center,
grown in the house-for garden roses
were still sleeping. and florists were a
needless luxury In the town of girl.
hood days-and brought to punctual
perfection by much watering and sun.
ming. Then in exact order Of prece.
dence, circle upon circle, came spice
pinks, white or pale mauve, mock Or
ange. candytuft, pansies, purple and
yellow, with an encircling fringe OF
lilies of the valley. And around all,
emphasizing the color scheme, was the
green and rose geranium leaves or the
striped slenderness of ribbon grass.
1t was redolent Of spicy sweetness
and of loving care, even If it were not
artistic. this Decoration day bouquet,
and no debutante ever bore her or.
chids more proudly than did youthful
volunteer soldier boy or tottering
veteran the posy of daughter or sweet.
heart.
There was one corner just by the
First church where every extra bunch
of flowers found its way. There, in
charge Of the minister's wife, they
were ranged in bowls, in case any sol.
der be forgotten. Should there be
any such. away raced Tom or John.
ny, Will or Frank, or tomboy Nell, IL
the boys had all followed the drum
corps, to supply the lack. glad TO be OF
use on this day of days, and pleased
with the grateful Thank you" Of the