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Show HOME OF THE EASTER LILY Flower Was Introduced Into the Islands of Bermuda by an American, Thero Is only -ono monument in, tho wholo Drltlsh colony of tho Dormudas and it is erected to the memory of nn Amorlcnn. This fact may scorn n bit strange until ono has heard tho Btory, which Is really n story of tho Dormuda Illy, and of tho mnn who mndo it possible Mnny yenrs ngrj during President Hayes' administration, In fact Gon. Dusael Hastings, who had mado for himself a brilliant record during tho civil wnr, was married In tho Whlto Houso nt Washington. Ho and his brldo wont to Dcrmuda on tholr wedding wed-ding trip, and wero so charmed with tho benuty of tho placo that thoy resolved re-solved then nnd thero to return, nnd, if possible, to mako it their permanent perma-nent nbode. Tho cllmato, too, appealed appeal-ed to them. (Tho gonornl hud beon sorlously wounded In tho wnr, nnd wns far from well.) A littlo later tho two enmo ngain. Not as tourists this tlmo, but as home-Beckers. home-Beckers. In thoso days tho now-existing lnw that nono but English citizens can own land In English colonies was not in force. So Genoral Hastings had no difficulty In acquiring n lnrgo es-tnto. es-tnto. Ho choso n plcturesquo site In the littlo city of Hamilton, surrounding n Innd-locked bny. Hero ho built his homo, "SoncI," which stnnds to-day among tropical trees and luxuriant flowers. Not only did Gonornl Hnstlngs nt onco becomo dcoply Interested in tio placo, and in tho possibilities for Its development, but ho wns gouulnoly distressed nt tho poverty of tho Island-era, Island-era, says n writer In tho Detroit Freo PresB. Sotting nbout to improvo mat-tors, mat-tors, ho studied tho climatic conditions, condi-tions, experimented ngnln nnd ngnln, and nt length his efforts woro crowned with success. It wns found that our present-day Easter Illy, originally n natlvo of Japan, would attain In Dcrmuda Dcr-muda to a perfection of lovollness hithorto unknown. Tho Islnndors woro soon pressed into Bervlco, und since about 1876 tho culturo of lilies has beon not only tholr chlof prldo, but tholr chlof moans of livelihood as woll. Imaglno a tiny group of Islands, fnr out In tho Atlnntlc tho lnrgest of them nbout 10 miles long nnd not wider, nt most, than n mllo nnd a half sot beneath tho bluest of bluo skies, nnd Bceming to rest on wntor whoso trnnsparoncy and brilliancy of color nro unequnlcd nnywhero. This la Uormudn, tho homo of tho Enstor Illy. As tho Incoming boat skirts tho shoro, tho Illy fields look from a dls-tnnco dls-tnnco llko white summer clouds dropped down from tho sky upon tho green Islands. Lily fragrnnco fills tho nlr nnd Is blown by tho wind fnr ovC ovor tho wnter. Coining nearer you seo tho fields moro clearly rows upon up-on rows of blossoms, tall, stntoly nnd snowy white. It is very bonutlful. It was not until tho early '80'b that the Dormuda Illy becanio woll known In tho United States. It Is said that a. Philadelphia woman, returning from tho Islands; brought homo, a plnnt to bloom. This camo to tho attention of W. K. Harris, nn enterprising florist of tho Quaker city, who purchased a lot of tho bulbs, from which ho succeeded suc-ceeded In raising hundreds of plants, Introducing thorn under tho namo Llllum Harrlsll. TIiub tho Easter lily Industry spread to America, and to other countries as well. Dut uowhoro do tho flowers grow bo porfoct and beautiful as under tho qulckonlni; warmth of tho tropical sun of Der-mu Der-mu da. Ordinarily only bulbs nro exported, but nt tho rush season wholo boat loads of cut buds and of thickly-budded plants aro packed and shipped nwny, carrying tho sweet mcssago of tho Eastorttdo Into countless homes nnd churches. Genernl Hnstlngs Is dend. In eplto of his long residence in Dcrmudn, ho remained u devotedly loynl Amorlcnn citizen nnd from tlmo to tlmo concerned concern-ed himself with public affairs, holding various positions of responsibility and honor. Tho Islanders romomber him ns their frlond nnd benefactor, nnd that they und thoso that como after thorn mny not bo unmindful of tho debt of grntltudo they owo, a beautiful beauti-ful monument has been recently erected erect-ed In Hamilton In his memory. |