The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-24

"Oh, mother, do see !" said little Georgian,
tc her mamma, as she came rushing in from
the garden, somebody's cut eff all the buds O
your heliotrope and little rose. Only look! -
" | did it." said her mother.
You, mammal"
"Yes.D
"Why-don't you ike flowers ~
es. my dear; it is because Ike flowers
CT them off"
What do you mean, mamma z"
My dear, DO you notice that the belotrop,
and tho rose are both young and week.-Mrs.
beginning to grow The strength that the,
employ in making larger roots and THROWN.
OUT more branches, so they will become stron 9
thrifty plants, aud bear twenty blossoms by
and.by, instead Of one nown
son, that IS it."
Yea; you SEQ, my deas, there is in every
Plant mysterious power, called the vital force
CT l2fs Now, this vital forco is all tho while
St-malctlng the plant to throw out either roots
stalks, leaves, or blossoms. But Of ell things
that plant can do, nothing uses more of this
mysterious power than to blossom. If the vita
force makes roots, these roots are so many
mouths through which the plant sucks food
from the earth; if jt goes to make more leaves
these leaves are lungs by which the plant
breathes the air, and thus takes in nourish-
mcnt; bat the flower is neither lungs nor
mouth yet it takes the highest force the plant
IL Gpa5le Of to produce it and while the plant
IS maturing the seed which lies hid in the
flower, it often .ntirely suspends all other
growth, because { Il Its energies are taken up
with this effort. SO, if gardener wants to
mako II plant str .ng and thrifty and capable
Of bearing beat iful show Of flowers, he often
picks of the first blossom buds, and turns all
the strength of the plant TO leaves and roots"
Little GeOrgy looked quito thoughtful.
" My dear" SAID her mother " am going
TO tell you something now, that hope you will
always remembers This lowering of plants is
lie some other things that want you to notice.
In educating you there are many pleasures
and pursuits, innocent in themselves, and beau
tful as the blossoms of flower, that restrain
you from, not because do not like them, but
because | think for you to have them now
would have the same effect on your character
shat too early bloi SONS would On a delicate
plant.
"You would like to spend your time in read
ing story books i'll going on visits, in attending
shows and concerts, and many such things,
which may oil be pleasant enough in them
selves; but instead of all these, you have to
spend your strength in duties and lessons, at
home and at school. You are doing, now, what
q plant iS-you are making roots and leaves,
and branches; and when your mind and char
scter are formed, blossoming may not hurt you.
Sometimes, q gardener cares nothing about
the strength Of plant. His only object is to
get show of fine flowers Immediately. He
keeps it warm, waters with stimulating nour-
ishment, and turns all its strength to Towering.
In this way, beautiful flowers are made; but
when their transient bloom is withered, the
plant is q poor, withered, unsightly thing,
whose vitality is al expended. SO some pa
rents and teachers bring up children to care
only for pleasure, gaiety, and show and when
childhood and youth are passed, their vgor Is
ell spent-they are poor, insipid, useless crea-
lures, sffcrding no pleasure or use, either to
themselves or others.
But, more than this, what do for you, is
only en- emblem of what our heavenly Father
is constantly doing for us all. Our minds are
all the while reaching forth and striving after
blossoms which He cuts of, not because he
does not love howers but because he does love
them, and wants his immortal plants to gain
strength for thousand, instead OF one.
Here is a mother, for instance, and all the
strength of her life is put forth in one fair
chiId-a rosebud of infinite sweetness. ALL the
strength of her soul is going into love for this
child. Inc heavenly Usruehof OoVo OAi '4io
blossom of love, lot because he has no pleasure
in it, but because he wants the soul that bears
it to become stronger soul, and capable OF
wider sphere of love- You will often SEQ rose
tree, whose buds have been cut off, throwing
CD green, vigorous shoot, from which multi
tudes of roses shall spring; and so, when an
earthly love has been broken off by death,
there springs out of it love to all mankind
10 all who suffer and sorrow.
$50 people in this world often have tastes
and capabilities beautiful in themselves, which
the circumstances of their lives forbid them to
indulge A mother, for example, has taste
for music, drawing, or literature; but poverty,
and the charge OF young family, keeps her
confined to the drudgery OF ordinary life. But
God, the loving gardener, has foreordained all
this. He casts her lot thus, not because he has
no love for the beautiful tendencies Of her mind,