St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-02-23
snistrllann.
FLOWERS IN HEAVEN,

sat alone in my country school
room. The busy beings who had been
about me during the day, had taken
their dinner baskets on their arms,
and gone to their several homes. Nv
desk was strcwcd with withered flow
ers. Some were offerings of infantilc
hand, while others had been brought
in by the botanical class. just be-
fore closing school, | had dwelt for
longer time than usual upon the beau
tics of the vegetable world, and the
goodness and wisdom of its Creator.
spread before my pupils the beau
tiful tinted corolla of the ticld,lily, and
showed them its thread-like stamens
with golden anthcrs, and its curious
pistils. From another wild flower, |
drew the delicate and nicely notchcd
calyx, and explained to them its vari-
Gus uses, and asked if man, with all
his boastcd powers, had ever planned
or executed any thing half as lovely.
| turned over the pages Of Gods
holy word, and read description of
the riches of Solomon "and yet" |
continued, ain all his glory he was
not arraycd like one of these" "And
if it is out of our power to make any
thing as beautiful as the little flower
which we crush beneath our feet al
almost every step, should we not be
humbled ~
A brcathlcss interest pcrvadcc the
little group, and their voices We're
more subducd than usual, when they
came to wish me good night" AZ
ter the echo of their footsteps had died
away, and the room had become silent,
opened book and began to read
Soon my attention was arrested by a
quick light step, and little girl of
five summers slid in beside me, while
her sun-bonnct had fallen back, loos-
ing the dark brown curls which stray
cd in rich profusiOn around her face
and neck.
Il thought Frances had gone home"
said !, as lifted her to a scat beside
me. Is she not afraid her mother will
be anxious about herr" | inquired.
81 thought my teacher would tell
me more about God and the little flow
crs," she replied, and | have come
back to hear
She had gathered a bunch of butter
cups, and | took them from her little
hand, and told her again Of their struc.
ture. | spoke Of that most beautiful
of Gods creation, the moss.rosc, and
told her that he had placed the mag.
nolia granditora upon the earth to
render it more lovcly-morc like hea
ven.
She caught the idea with cnthusi
asm, and asked, 'Will there be flow
ers in Heaven
There will be every thing bright
and beautiful there | replied, g and
if flowers can add any thing to tho
beauty Of the golden courts, we shall
surely find them there"
"Oh," she exclaimed, al hope tho
angels will wear wreaths of them
shall love to look upon the angels, ant
hear them sing!"
These were among her last words
as | parted from her that evening
The next day Frances was not in hel
seat. Inquired for her, and they tolt
me she was i'll. A few weeks after
wards, her little coffin passed my win
dows, covered with a black pail, ant
followed by train of mourners.
watched them till they disappeared il
the circuitous road that led to the vii
lage graveyard, and then turned away
with a sigh, saying, Eyes, Frances
there are flowers i'll heaven, for thol
J art one"