Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1899 — THE RED LILY. [ARTICLE]

THE RED LILY.

A Pretty Lerend of the Flowers in the Garden of Gethsemane. The red lily of Palestine is In size and shape much like our Easter lilies, but they are yellow with purple streaks upon the outside and a red blush tint within. In the bottom of each bell there are six drops of sweet water-like tears. If you take these away six more will at once take their places. About this flower this pretty story is told by the simple folk who live near there; “Once the Garden of Gethsemane was full of flowers of all kinds, and among them none so fair and queenly as the slender, stately lily, with all her clustering bells proudly upright. It was eventime, and the Lord came to walk awhile in His garden. As He passed along, each gentle flower bowed before Him while He breathed the refreshment of the quiet hour upon them; but when He came to the lily her haughty head remained erect in the defiance of conscious beauty. The Lord paused and looked upon her. For a second she braved that bright, mild eye of reproof, then slowly bent her silvery bells, while blushes swept in painful brilliancy over them. Still the Lord’s gaze rested on her; lower sank her head, deeper burned her crimson; then tear after tear welled up in the lily cups. At this the Lord passed on. “When morning came all the flowers lifted their heads and smiled to see the light; all but the lily, that once white queen among yiem. Her head remained bowed in shame, while to this day she blushes over her vanity, and the tears of repentance still flow in the delicate cups of the flower that refused to bend before the Lord as He walked In the Garden of Gethsemane at the evening hour.”