Evening star., 1936-04-05

81. b HE. ces. Usually the rea-
son the would-be Civ
er writes to me is that he - or she - has a
typical case of our national ailment, of think
ing everything less than the superlative in
quality, quantity and size mot good enough"
How many charming, friendly. generous
and sympathetic impulses have been smoth-
cred under that mania of America for the
superlative Why must the flowers we send
be the largest and the finest that many dollars
can buy - or else none at all? The poets
sing of "a rose" but young John America can
not think of roses in less than dozens!
By this do not mean that biggest box
of the most gorgeous flowers is not an en-
thralling gift; but would like to ask why,
on the other hand, it must be supposed that
we haven't the spirit or the
sentiment to appreciate the love-
illness of little things. Or per-
haps we might put ourselves to
the test: If we had all the money
in the world, would we send
dearest friend who lives in the
tinieSt of apartments constant
supply OF sweet little roses ana
other short -stemmed flowers?
; ! ! !. I ! !: ! ! !
Or would we only once year,
at Easter, crowd her low-ceil- y
inged room with the longest-
stemmed American Beauties or ~
twenty-bloom plants of Easter
lilies, both of which - especially
the latter - would so heavily ~
charge little room with per-
fume as to be uncomfortable?
- On the other hand, it must perhaps be
acknowledged that for Lucy Oneroom, when
she wants to send plant of size or flowers
in quantity to Mrs. Richly who has shown
her repeated kindness, to have to choose a
little pot of primroses or pansies is disheart-
ening. So it is to anyone whose pocketbook
is conspicuously flat compared with that of
the friend whose hospitality she would like
to repay.
Idont know whether it will help, or wheth-
er it will discourage her even more but
little pot of pansies, chosen because they are
for thought, or small bunch of crocuses,
because they are just out in the woods will
please Mrs. Richly a thousand times more
than plant the size of half door, or two
dozen Francis Scott Key roses In fact, moth
ing could possibly distress her half so much
as evidence that a large part of Lucy's
weekly income had gone wastefully into size
or length of stems!
single gardenia, or rose, or perhaps
the one perfect bloom in her own garden at
a time when other gardens are all poor,
brought by neighbor when she comes to
lunch or dine, would be charming Offering.
Yet it is one that few if any of US think of.
because we too share young John Americas
obsession.
A question would like to ask of a man,
who is sending flowers to the steamer on
which she whom he cares for is sailing, is:
Why not, instead of sending one big box of
flowers to be added to all those other boxes
with which the cabin is sure to be filled until
there is no space to put his down, send six
or eight small boxes of corsage bouquets "a
fresh one for her to wear each day at sea?
Perhaps he orders all of them made of
her favorite flower if she has only one; other
wise he chooses different variety to be given
her each morning or noon or evening as he
may direct. If they are to be given her every
morning, let us say he chooses a small bunch
of daytime flowers suitable for sports clothes
L..