Show FLOWER MISSION DAY Its Origin and Development MIES Jennie Cassaday a young lady of Louisville Ky who has been a confirmed invalid for twenty years and during all this time has been confined to her bed by paralysis paraly-sis of the lower limbs conceived and set in motion this beautiful mission of flowers Having been herself the recipient of these tenderest tokens of love at the hands of those who moat sympathized with her she determined deter-mined that all persons confined in the city whether in hospital jail or prison should be alike remembered Having a little framelike table adjusted over her couch on which she might rest her arms in writing she began her work Each bouquet was to be accompanied by a card upon which she had printed some comforting passage of scripture She then appointed a day to be called Flower Mission Day to be observed annually On that day a bouquet of flowers with the accompanying card was sent to every inmate of the asylums hospitals jails and prisons in Louisville She making the request that any person who had been cheered or benefitted thereby would so express it by card As a result out of 400 prisoners 300 responded Thus encouraged by her labor of love she extended her work into all the principal cities of Kentucky With such favor had the plan been received that the mayor of Louisville has designated the 9th of June to be observed as Flower Mission Day that being Miss Cassadays birthday Furthermore he recommends that all business be suspended that day in honor of the invalid heroine whilat the city authorities as a token of their appreciation of this wonderful mission of love and laoor have connected her by telephone with the opera hospitals jails and prion thereby giving their inmates Intercourse with their helpless benefactor bene-factor But the plan is to reach its climax through the Womans Christian Temperance Union By her request the Union takes up the work and makes it national and hereafter the 9th of June is to be one of eur red letter days On that day the unions throughout through-out the States are requested to visit all asylums hospitals jails and prisons distributing flowers and delicacies if need to each inmate irrespective of age color or sex whether confined by sickness infirmity in-firmity or crime that ail may know they are the subjects of tender ten-der solicitude of these missions mis-sions of heavens own appointing Wt hope the Unions throughout this beautiful Territory where the flora unrivaled carpet the very earth beneath our feet will not be behind their sister States who are not so highly favored but will send these emblems of Jove and purity fragrant with the perfume the skies resplendent with the beauty of the Divine ArtIsts touch into every hospital jail and prison within their reach MRS B SPUKLOCK |