Excerpt from Catalogue of an Unusual Collection of Water-Color and Oil Paintings Purchased From Time to Time for Reproduction by L. Prang and Company: To Be Absolutely Sold by Auction on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Evenings, February 16th, 17th and 18th, Beginning at 7-45 O'clock Each Evening at the American Art Galleries, No. 6 East 23d Street (Madison Square)<br><br>And where have they not gone, these loose leaves from the world's book of beauty I Everywhere Into the homes of the rich and the homes of the poor, into the miner's cabin, the invalid's chamber, the nursery, the school-room, the drawing-room, making summer sweeter and lighting up the snows of winter. Millions of lives have been brightened by the flowers, the landscapes, the babies, the kittens and birds, and all the fair and pleasant things that have been sown broadcast over the country by Mr. Prang. Who shall say how much of our gain in nationalism in art of lateryears may not be due to the unconscious influence of Mr. Prang's gentle ministers of beauty in the household?<br><br>Not in vain did Mr. Prang take the Rose for his symbol - the many-leaved flower of many meanings! The rose of silence, the rose of pain beloved of mystics, the rose of pleasure crowning the Classic feast, - all the sweet thoughts and tender prayers and splendid pageants of humanity centre about this queen of flower-land. A hundred pictures for a hundred leaves of'the rose! An odor of June perfume imprisoned among the pictured petals a fair thought of friendship embalmed in color for all time! Such is the Rose of the pictured garden that has grown and flourished under care and patience. And much watching - a Rose in a Heart - the Heart of Humanity!<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.