Show birth of flaming star scarf christmas poinsettia namo poinsettia cornea comes front from T TUB doctor poinsett of oc charleston S 0 who introduced it into cultivation the story of its birth ns as ft a christ runs flower Is not so well known it la Is tit the story of a little Alexi cati girl orphaned and alone coming to tile tho great cathedral on christmas ovo eve with tier her meager offering of tall fall weed stalks heavy largo large yellow seeds clasped tightly in her poor little half frozen hands there were other offerings of great beauty and price laid upon the altar and tho the poor little child alone in a shadowy corner of the great church prayed that she might be taken to join tier her mother fattier father and baby brother who but a short time before had passed on to the other world silo she thought if she had only one blossom to offer instead of tho the weeds her prayer might be answered yet even as she prayed a radiance shone about tier her and a presence came beckoning her tol to follow rising she followed tile tho presence even to tile the altar and placed upon it tier her offering of weed stalks the presence looked down upon tier her and smiled und tile tho child raised tier her face to ills his and on her wan little countenance was reflected the same wondrous anille and as pile eho smiled about the yellow seeds burst forth leaves of glorious crimson forming a laming flaming star of wondrous beauty seemingly imbued with tho spit spirit it of fire it was thus tho the flowing star our Chri chrisimos poinsettia was born florence harris wells Q 1928 west newspaper union 3 W |