The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1855-12-27
Something like a smile did play
Override dead insenate clay,
As if o happy dream had shed,
. A halo round that guiieless head.

laid upon ,it--howi often the mothers arms
of love had eneircled it--how frequent beam
ed her eye with delight as she won its smile,
and how had she quickened her ear to catch
tile sound of its prattle? How constant had
the thought of the father gone, dwelt in her
mind rs its name was uttered, and it had
been marked proceeding from one stage of
its infancy to another. The voice of prayer
how urgently and affec,ionately had it
been breathed over il, and its tender hands
clasped TO teach II to pray. And in its
sickness when disease strobe on, and the lit
Tie sufferer sank under its progress, how un-
RENTING had been the care that had been
given to it, the vigilance of attention with
which its wants had been regarded, and the
sought 10 be soothed. Aud now, all was
over, the cherub spirit had fled, and all that
remained Of It's loved image save in memo
rvs INNINGS was to be taken away. 1t
was indeed d house Of mourning, to which
we were Summoned.
AS we passed OH and took our seats, ali
was still Now and theu some one with
tsaddened yisage entered with noiseiess step,
aud after turning To glance at the little sleep
er, would he seated, or stand in one of the
! rooms, or at the entrance appropriated to
tue purpose. Ofihcse many were females,
and not few Of them motlieis some of
them had been called To similar trials, to
mouri over their hopes ofchildhood, blasted
in the bud, and now they were present to
weep with one who before might perhaps.
have wept with them. 1t WAS not difficult
to divine the thoughts which might then be
passing through their minds. Remem.
bfance doubtless, was busy in giving back
TO them their dead, and the similar scenes
10 which they have. been called-Oh, yes,
to be shorn SO Of our tender branches that
have climbed up around our hearts and
seemed TO add grace and beauty TO our
abode-to feel the cutting off from us of ob.
jects appreciated with 50 many thiekly
crowded events of lite-though we may feel
that We need the pruning, it is painful, and
many an after scene, will find us going back
to cling in thought 10 those beloved aud de.
parted little ones. True, but for such
breaches in our family circle, as one well
iobserves, the very idea Of infancy would
lose It's continuity with us. Girls aud boys
would befuture men and women not present
children. They would have attained lheil
full growth in our imagination and might
rs well have been men and women a. once
On the other hand those who have lost an
infant, ,aIe never without an infant child. They
are the ehly persons who in one sense retain
] 1t always, and they furnish their neiglibors
kMith the same idea. The other children
Sigrow up to manhood and womanhood and
.fsufier all the changes of mortality. This
Ionesalone, is rendered an immortal cEild.-
Death has arrested il with his kind harsh.
hess and blessed IL into an eternal image d
yoUthfllness and innocence.
So they passed in. one after another each
face saddened and all SO silent aud thought.
ful that no one could doubt this to he the
house ofdeath. There too, were The play.
mates and friends of the boy children Of va
rious ages aud stature; little boys and gill.
gathered with their parents aud acqnantan.
ces, for lille Henry had been pretty, gen
ttIe.one and beloved by those who knew him
On the ecountenances Of some Of these young
est, could bercad the inquiry mingled with
a certain sadness Of air, caught sympatheti
cally from those older, What Is the mean
ing Of thisf' They had heard that uiei,
I playmate was dead--they knew that in the
coffin there was something that looked like
his face and form, but it seemed SO different
too What is deathl seemed to be tht
thought that was then dwelling in tleil
minds. There was curious saddened ex
4 preston such rs YOU never see on similar
occasion except on the yisage of childhood
and indeed of almost infantile childhood.
But the villagers had now assembled and
ltIe rooms aud entries were filled A slight
delay occurred for moment before the sol
lemn services commenced. They were wait
ling Tor the icader of Inc choir. There Is |;
beautiful simplicity in village funeral, and
lin this respect and on account Of the more
homely, yet apparently hearty sympathy oi
those present atihe scene, il contrasts most
fsvorably with the more formal and ceremo-
Inious scenes in the city.
! Tho services were introduced by q hymn
appropriately selected, and sung with much
\ apparent feeling. 1t pointed To the flower
1 withercd and destroyed, it told Of winter
fleeing and tho blossom again in beauty
dressed --and It told too, of hope beyond
the bounds oftimeN- Of the flower that should
i feel the genial influence Of an everlasting
spring, and revive again to bloom forever II
the paadisauf God.
j The past6r then naaie short and touch.
Eing address. His own heart was evidently
Il L. az