se who seek to walk
on their own hook.

Within a week after you have sent the young lady the flowers, you should
receive a polite note of thanks, somewhat as follows: "My dear Mr. Roe:
Those lovely flowers came quite as a surprise. They are lovely, and I
cannot thank you enough for your thoughtfulness. Their lovely fragrance
fills my room as I write, and I wish to thank you again. It was lovely
of you."

FLOWERS AND THEIR MESSAGE IN COURTSHIP

It is now time to settle down to the more serious business of courtship.
Her letter shows beyond the shadow of a figurative doubt that she is
"interested," and the next move is "up to you." Probably she will soon
come into the office to see her father, in which case you should have
ready at hand some appropriate gift, such as, for example, a nice potted
geranium. Great care should be taken, however, that it is a plant of
the correct species, for in the etiquette of courtship all flowers have
different meanings and many a promising affair has been ruined because
a suitor sent his lady a buttercup, meaning "That's the last dance I'll
ever take you to, you big cow," instead of a plant with a more tender
significance. Some of the commoner flowers and their meaning in
courtship are as follows:

Fringed Gentian--"I am going out to get a shave. Back at 3:30."

Poppy--"I would be proud to be the father of your children."

Golden-rod--"I hear that you have hay-fever."

Tuberose--"Meet me Saturday at the Fourteenth Street subway station."

Blood-root--"Aunt Kitty murdered Uncle Fred Thursday."

Dutchman's Breeches--"That case of Holland gin and Old Tailor has
arrived. Come on over."

Iris--"Could you learn to love an optician?"

Aster--"Who was that stout Jewish-looking party I saw you with in the
hotel lobby Friday?"

Deadly Nightshade--"Pull down those blinds, quick!"

Passion Flower--"Phone Main 1249--ask for Eddie."

Raspberry--"I am announcing my engagement to Charlie O'Keefe Tuesday."

Wild Thyme--"I have seats for the Hippodrome Saturday afternoon."

The above flowers can also be combined to make different meanings, as,
for example, a bouquet composed of three tuberoses and some Virginia
creeper generally signifies the following, "The reason I didn't call for
you yesterday was that I had three inner tube punctures, besides a lot
of engine trouble in that old car I bought in Virginia last year. Gosh,
I'm sorry!"

But to return to the etiquette of our present c