The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1918-08-09

fOu KNOW, children, tnere ar,
just lots and lots of lovely flower
in this wonderful world God ha
created, and no doubt you hav'
played with them many times, snC
watched them as they nodded away
in the evening breezes or opened
their little faces in the morning
just as you open your eyes anC
smile at mother; but did you know
their names, and did you know they
breathed? And did you ever think
how unselfsh they are in bloom
ing for everybody and giving oul
all their sweetness joyously to the
world? And did it ever occur to
you that they might slip away
some time when nobody was look.
ing, and like the little fairies, have
a big tea party or banquet? Moth
er has had parties, and you know
how nice they are and how the diff
ferent people come and what a
good time they have. Don't you
know it would be a beautiful thing
if the flowers had one? Let me tell
you a story just as if they did,
The Rose family is about the
largest family in flower land, and
maybe the most loved. All the
members of the family are just
as sweet as they can be.
There is Miss Killarney with all her
Irish beauty; Geranium SO sweet and
fragrant; cute little Wild in all her
shyness, who, though maybe sIe h
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bushes, and there IS Mary, the lity
tie sweetheart Of the boy rose, whom
somebody just nick-named Red
and who has been called that ever
since. Even when grown he is a
little smaller than his brave cousin
Giant of Battle. There are others,
as Monsieur Marechal Neil, Ma
damoiselle La France and Pink
Rover, the little outlaw, but there is
one especially that everybody loves,
and who has been petted more than
the rest. She is really the favorite
of many. and has been to school to
some teachers called Horticulture
lists. Mother can tell you who these
are. She has grown so popular
that everyone knows her as Ameri-
can Beauty. She is Queen Of all
the Roses. Now for the story:
The flowers all had springtime
banquet once upon a time in honor
of this Queen when she was gradu-
ated from the school, Wasn't that
fine? They all we're glad to honor
her because there is no jealousy in
Flowerland. All the flowers are
sweet and they are content with
their own individual sweetness No
envy at another's beauty or success
eats at the heart of a flower. The
tiny little Wild Violet who can just
lift her little head above the forest
moss is just as sweet in her way as
the American Beauty. AS there
was no such thing as jealousy at
this party you know they had a
happy time. Giant of Battle was
very much in love with American
Beauty. In fact, he it was who first
suggested to Lily of the Valley that
this banquet be arranged for the
proud American Beauty. Every
thing was arranged, and at the sug-
gestion of Begonia, PanSy was Sc
lected to invite the guests. She
wrote the invitations with a pen she
got from Jonquil, dipped in the ink
from the Ink Ball, on big flat leaves
given by Pond Lily. The invita-
tions were all carried to the invited
ones by Mr.. Jack Bean, who was
considered a very fast runner. All
the flowers of Flowerland were in
vited, and each one promised to be
there except Baby's Breath, who
was not quite strong enough to 90,