, 1843-05-20

a mother resigns her infant offspring
from her arms to lay it down among
the flowers which her own hands
may have cultivated, and which may
afterwards be watered with her tears.
she will find a pensive pleasure in the
cheerful aspect of its final place Of
rest; and though the beauty of the
flowers may be marred by the winds
OF autumn and the frosts Of winter,
she will be sure to repair thither a.
gam IN the spring, to observe in open
ing blossoms and renewed promise of
a resurrection and another life, where
she will hope that parting and sorrow
and tears will never come. When
she herself shall! feel the langour of
disease, and perceive the near ap-
preach of death, the bed of flowers
in which her infant sleeps will con-
tinue TO flourish. The forget me-nots
will not wiiher, and perhaps the roses
will continue TO shed their fragrance
on the grave of her little one. till she
shall be prepared to lie down with her
offspring, 10 be herself a new source
of attraction for surviving relatives
and friends. to draw them TO tile
twice-hallowed resting place of the
loved and lost. And when the father
Of the family shall be laid TO rest
with the wife of his bosom. the sur
viving children will doubtless cherish
the memorials of their departed pa
rents. Such rs may reside in the
city will not allow the summer to PASS
without a visit to the narrow house
of those to whom they owe their ex-
istence. overShadowed rs it nav be
by Towering shrubs and trees, which
the hands OF their parents may have
plInted. And when the whitening
flowers OF the sumner, or the faded
leaves of autumn. strewcd upon the
tomb. shall mos, impressively teach
the lesson that every life deriving its
nouri,hment from the earth must
cease. they nav be warned Ia pre-
pare for their dissolution. II il
is better 10 90 the house of mourn
ing than to 90 the house of Teasing.
surely it is better 10 visit the cetnete-
ry Of the dead then to 90 to the halls
OF riot and dissipation; tor this is in
deed "the end of all men, and the
living will Law ii 10 heart" And will
not friendship rs well as domestic az
lection seek the cemetery for the
purpose Of recalling more vivldly to
mind 1.-THE memory OF joys that are
past, pleasant and mourninl to the
soul?' True, indeed, the spirit which
once animated the Wondering dust of
IA tenant of TIE grave may not be
there; that cannot be confined, nor
can We trace its flights; but where
the last earthly remains of a friend
are deposited, and where a living
friend may expect his own d~ecaving
frame to lie. the endearments of Cor
mer years will awaken deeper emo.
tons that can be felt in any other
place. Though mirth and Ievelrv
can never find aIiment in the cemete-
~, yet if Judgment and taste are
employed in the selection OF the dec
orations and monuments which may
be introduced, there may be nothing
gloomy or %forbiddlng in its aspect.
On the contrary, there may be much
that is agreeable and cheerful: much,
even with moderate expense, that
shall be elegant and tasteful; and
much which shall have Il tendency to
increase the health of visitors, both OF
body and mind, as well as 10 improve
the moral and religious feelings of the
community among whom tits situated,
and those of persons from a greater
distance who may visit it.