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Show MANY STORIES ARE WOVEN ABOUT LILY Peoples of Almost All the Nations of the Earth Have Romances Connected With the Universal Easter Symbol. OF all the flowers that grow there are few about which as many stories are told as the lily ; from all parts of the world they come, weaving a fair cloak of romance around the blossom that surpasseth "Solomon in all his glory." The lilies of the Caucasus, for example, exam-ple, change their color after the rain has fallen, their white petals blushing rosy pink at the kiss of the shower and the peasants will not fall to give you the reason should you ask. Long, long centuries ago, they will tell you, there lived a valiant soldier who had one daughter, Tamara, the most beautiful maiden the world had ever seen. White was her skin and bright as gold her long silken curls, and all who saw her loved her for her beauty and her charm. War broko out in a neighboring country, and her father was called to arms. Long and bravely he fought and ever by his side rode his friend, the chief of a nearby cnstle, until one b!tter day an arrow found his comrade's heart. When the war was over, he came home once more, bringing with him Plini. a young lad, the son of his fallen fall-en comrade. Between Flini and Tamara Ta-mara n close friendship grew. She, as was the custom of the times, had learn-eJ learn-eJ to weave and embroider, but further furth-er learning had she none, so he delighted de-lighted in teaching her the songs of Greece while he accompanied her on the harp. Day in find day out. they wandered together through the woods and fields, gathering the flowers that grew by the way. and together singing .n that the very birds hushed their melody to listen. They were only children, chil-dren, and their merry laughter rung ihrnugh the air as they rnn and leaped in joy of heart, but little by little .'hey grew more silent and as they walked their hands would seek and C:iJ each the other's. Changed Into Lily. Then the nature of their singing i changed and sad. sweet melodies re-i re-i placed the Joyous Mnes of childhood. ! The harp sobbed and si-hed with im-j im-j spoken love and Ion, strar.'je s:!e::eos I Tell between them. For morr.hs thny j wandered thus, not rnlerstnndins the j secret of their hearts, until one day t Tamara was claimed by the urea! rl i.-f , t.i whom her baud had been long prom-I prom-I ised. I Too dutiful to refuse to obey tha commands of her father, too loving to be untrue to her own heart, she knew not what to do, so going out unto the mountains she prxiyed to henven for deliverance, and the gods, who hear the prayers of those who trust, changed chang-ed her into a tall lily, with petals white as her fair skin and golden pistil pis-til that shone as had her flowing tresses. Tears passed and Plini wandered the whole world through, seeking for his lost love. From every passerby he asked, "Have you seen Tamara, the fairest of maidens?" To the wild winds as they blew he prayed, "Oh, find for me my love." But no answer an-swer came until home once more in his own country he found and knew the lily. Falling on his knees beside it he cried, "Is It Indeed thee, oh, Tamara?" and, like the sigh of the soft south wind he heard the flower whisper, "It is I, my beloved." Then, all his years of fruitless search past, he clasped the blossom to his heart and wept, and the flower, feeling feel-ing the warm tears of love, blushed rosy with Joy. But what "was life to him when she who made the sunshine of his heart was gone? So the merciful merci-ful gods changed him to a shower, which ever and anon falls In refreshing refresh-ing rain on the lilies of the Caucasus, and when there is a drouth in the land the maidens gather the flowers of Tamara Ta-mara aa3 strew them over the fields singing as they go the song cf Plini, invoking his love that once more he may bring the tlush of Joy to the petals pet-als of his beloved. Records Lily's Shame. Among the Christian legends of the lily we find the origin of the tiger, or turncap. All lilies were in the begin-nin- white, and alt held their fair heads proudly erect, but on the night in which Christ suftered In the garden of Gethsemane some fell from grace. When the other Sewers became aware of his agony, they withered away with sorrow and pity. Only one lily was indifferent, in-different, and when those three bitter hours had passed, still flaunted her spotless beauty in the light of the moon. The soldiers came and Jesus was led out from the Garden of Olives. ITe paused for a moment beside the tall stem covered with the white Towers; Tow-ers; for a moment re gazed on them in pitying reproach for their blindness and their hardness of heart, and touched touch-ed by the love and mercy in his ryes they hu:ig their heads nr.d blushed; so, to this hour, the doseen. lanrs of this proud, har.l-hcancd plant look down and sharno dyes their petals. |