The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-03-27
For the Girls and Boys,
From the New York Observer.
The Blighted Lily.

he stopped by n lily whose white petals were
whitening before they had fairly opened. He
was walking in his garden with his daughter
Luuisa.
swell, Sir" said the gardener, resting a
moment from his labor, "it has had great
run ofil luck. In the first place the bulb
got wound from the spade when it was
transplanted; and then il wasn't set out as
soon after it was taken up ms it should have
beem the late Frost too, that we had in the
latter part ofMay nipped it IL Titles so that TAX
ing all together 1t has had rather hard time
of it, and it is no wonder that it don't make
fine bloom. tits badly hlighted, sure enough;
but there is many fair thing in this world
that is badly blighted. There is n land, Sir
where there is no blight nor frost"
eyes, James," replied Mr. Parkmun. Sand
we must see to it that we have mn interest
4here."
81 hope" said James, solemny. "the So
viour has gone to prepare mansions for us
both there. But don't You think, Sir, there
will be flowers in heaven"
Mr. Parkmun smiled and made no imme-
oiate reply. james continued: "Thero will
he music there, and why shouldn't there be
flowers there?"
81 am not prepared to say that there will
he flowers there, and flowers which will new
er fade"
"You could he happy there, even if that
should not he the case, could you not!"
| can he happy in any place in which God
sees fit to place me in anyphce where his pres
ence is not wantng:but rs flowers are among
the finest things which he has made, Gas the
blessed Saviour was great lover of flowers
when he was on the earth, think, If the
Lord should see it,) it would be all the bet
ter ifthey were to bloom in heaven"
"What authority have you for saying that
the Saviour was lover ofhowers?"
"Because il is expressly said so in the good
book: and if it wasn't, we might know that he
was a great friend to flowers, because he was
so gentle and lovely himself"
81 don't recolleCt any passage of Scripture
which expressly aflirms that the'Saviour was
peculiarly fond of flowers"
"Doesn't he say, sir, consider the lilies of
the field how they grow they toll not neither
do they spin, yet ! say unto you that even
Solomon in all his glory was not arruyed like
one Of these. Wherefore if God so clothe
the field" &c. Eou see, Sir, that he asCribes
the clothing of the flower with beauty to God,
and not to nature, us the heather among us
do"
Thinking that he had stood idle long e.
nOugh, he prepared to resume his work say
ing us he dill so, "WeIl whatever may he the
case with my old friends here" pointing to
the lilies aud roses and other flowers. 81
hope that dear olive plant ofyours will be
there"
"Thnt must depend" said Mr. Parkman
.soIemuly, sin one sense, at least, upon herself
When they had passed on so far as to he
out ofJanIes' hearing, Louisa said to her ia
ther, "do you believe there will be flowers III
heaven?"
at is Il point, my daughter, in respect to
which | have neither beliefor unbeet. The
Bible is silent respecting it,"
But James seems to he certain about IT,
~ he is great reader ofthe Bible you know"
In James case. you have an example ofthe
effect ofdesire, in causing belief without suf-
fcient evidence. We believe what we strong
iy desire to he true, OIL very slight evidence.
James is such lover offlowers, his life, as ii
were, is so hound up in them, that he can
hardly form II conception of happy place
where they shall he wanting. Hence, he
strongly desires that he may be o1nd in par
adise, and hence believes they will he found
there, on very slight evideuce or rather on
none at ALL"
81 didn't see as the passage which he quo
ted proved that the Saviour was Il peculiar
admirer of flowers"
"True," said her father, "the words were
spoken by Him to illustrate II point very diff.
terent from the one we were considering, yet
have no doubt but the Saviour ms IL perfect
man, must have had keen sensibility to the
beauties of natures hence must have been an
adinrer of flowers. Jamesis therefore with
out doubt right in his premises. butt do not
see that his conclusion follows. 1t may he,
and doubtless was fact that the Saviour
loved these beautiful specimens of his Fa-
theirs handy work, but do not think that il
follows from this fact that there will be flow
ers in the better land"
81 think the idea Of unblighted and fade
less flowers is beautiful one"
sit is so; but it is n poetical rather than a
spiritual idea. All moral perfection will be
found in heaven: every thing necessary to
the complete perfection and the highest hap
piness of the soul will be found there. The
great question is, are we prepared for resi-
dence there""
This suggestion awakened thoughts in
Louisa's mind which were not altogether
pleasant, She was not a christian: she in
tended to become one, but was not ready yet.
She was interested in the subject of religion,
and loved to hear persons converse upon il
herself provided its truths were not thereby
brought home too closely to her own heart.
AT such times, she was always inclined to
change the conversation, lift could be done
with propriety. 1t was in part owing to this
cause that she made the following remark,
"Father as | was looking at the lily, a little
while ago, was led to think of Ellen Rodg-
ers."
"When did you see her last?'
yesterday"
"How did you find her?"
"She was much weaker than she was last
Monday. Then she walked from the bed to
her window, and now they have to carry her.
She told me she had walked across her pleas
ant chamber for the last time"
"We had betterride over and see her this