Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-06-03
Misfellanp.
WON BY A FLOWER

! WON BY A FLOWER
Here is grave, close under the Maple
and we remember for whom it was made
All that remains upon the tablet now, is ;
rudley carved Willow and "MARrHA'
beneath it. She was village flower ant
among the fairest at sixteen, and at sixteer
she died. 1t was Saturday afternoon
and with a merry company she went flower
hunting among the rocks that lined The
deep gorge worn by the waters on thei
journey.by the Village Mill She ventur
ed out with laugh upon the green and
messy verge, and stood there like Miriam
and sand The summer wind shook on,
her ringlets in a shower upon her should
ers. A straw hat with blue ribbons was
flung back from her brow; and she seemed
like one descending for a moment from the
blue heaven above her. 1t is long time
ago but we cannot forget the glance of heI
beautiful eyes, as she turned half playful,
half triumphant TO her more timid compan.
10: S. 81 see |, fower-I see fower-a
violet.' she cried, at is just over the
brink-it shall be mine," and before hand
could be extended to save her, she had ad-
vanced one foot, and bent over the verge.
She had grasped the floral trophy, and was
just recovering her position, when she slip
ped upon the moss yet damp with recent
shower; there was fluttering of garments,
one wild cry, and Martha was plunged in
the abyss below. Oh, where was the hand
put forth from the ark of old, to take the
wanderer in? and where were the wings
she wears now, that they were not unfurl-
cd to sustain and TO save her? There was
lamentation in the new Ramah that day,
when she was borne up by a winding way,
and carried to the home of her mother
There was no school on the morrow, for
wasn't Marths dead? and who should ever
'.look upon her like again?" The black
smiths hammer seemed to ring slow and
solemn knell; the shouts upon the village
green were hushed; children stole noise
lessly along the streets, and spoke in whis-
pers of Martha, and of Martha dead. 1t
was the first death of early called in the
little village. We had seen the old loose
their grasp of life, but they held it like
autumn leaves, by frail tenure, and sank
without a struggle into the grave. But
here it had come years nearer to us, and
an underlined awe came DER our young
spirits like cloud. The next day but one
for they were in no unseemingly haste
in those days, and there were no railways
to the grave-she was buried. How beau
tiful she looked in her wedding garments,
for she was married even unto Death. Her
hands were meekly folded over her motion
less bosom, and in one of them was the vio-
let she had plucked from the fatal verge.
1t was beautiful summers day, and the
coffin was brought out beneath the trees,
and rested upon table. The old Elder
whom we then fancied TOO good to die,
though alas for it, We have heard since
that ''the prayers of David the son of Jesse
are ended"-stood by the coffin. The
birds sang sweetly overhead, and the winds
made music among the branches, but many
eyes were shedding rain below. The old
man, in tones :relnulous and low, offered
prayer commencing the living to Gods
good keeping, and then they joined in an
old fashioned hymn, but there was falter-
ing in the simple strains, for a sweet voice
was missing among the choir. The text
was in The coffin as well as in the bible,
for it was only "Thc Flower Fadeth. y
there is but one thing, that at this distance.
Of time, We can remember, and it is this:
eve think it was a calamity that called
our young friend hence to be here no more
foreyer-that it was melancholy chance.
Oh! we greatly err; she passed in her beau
ty from this world to that, and the violet
was planted there, as we think, by the ran
dom fingers of the wind; but it was not so.
That little flower was to win a singer for
the choir above; it has performed its Of
flee, and He doeth all things well. We
fancy it was blooming upon fearful brink,
but it was not so. 1t was set hard by the
threshold of the better land, and it lured
her into dying and into heaven" sNo bed
of languisl,ng-no wasting day by day,
but with all her undiminished power of
loveliness' she waited away out of our
sight.
"And God has strown such flowers along
our path-howers of immortal beauty, to
guide US and win us to Heaven. They
blossom in every trutli-they are fragrant
here to-day"
| The speaker ended: there was move
ment in the little group as all pressed round
to take one last look of she whose face
whereon Death had set his seal, then slow
ly they took up their dead, and bore her
hither. Another song was sung; another
petition breathed; and earth hid her forev-
er from our eyes. Years ago that rosetree
was planted beside her silent pillow, but
the fingers of affection long since forgot
their office. There Martha was laid, but
she is not there to-day. Her beauty has
kindled, this many summer, in the roses
bloom; has budded in the maple, has float
ed away iii the cloud. Nature found her
out, hidden and Eushed as she was in the
grave and Nature had need of her and
claimed the cast-of garment she had worn,
and made of it beautiful array for the
summer wear of flowers.
B. F. TAYLOR
Dr.. FRANKLIN IN PARIs.-In the ear
liar part Of the American war, Franklin
went to Paris, in hopes Of obtaining pecu-
mary resources from France. For some
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