The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-02-10
The White Water-Lilly.
BY THE REV. JoHc TODD, D. D.

BI The REV. JOHC TODD, ID. ID.
This story was written, we suppose,
for childien, but no one will regret hay
ing read it
At the bottom of mild, dark, muddy
lake, there lay very small root. The
mud covered it, the fish swan over it,
the frogs hid underi it, and once great
moose actually trod on it.
..Oh deari' said the little root, talking
10 itself, show dark and lonesome it is
down here. Hardly ray Of light comes
to me. They tell me it is light and beau
tiful up above me, and there is a lovely
sky there: but the heavy waters lie on me
and press me down. Nobody ever thinks
Of me, or ever knows that I live. am
a poor useless thing. / can't communi-
cate with any one-can't do good to any
one, l might as well not be-
The snow covered the earth and filed
the forest, and the ice covered the lake,
and there lay the little root, coiled up in
its loneliness. But when tho spring had
returned, and the snow Was gone, and
the ice had melted, and the birds had come
and the forest had put on its mantle Of
green, the little root felt the water was
warmer, and she peeped up with one eye,
and then she nestled and felt strong
desire to see the light. So she shot up
II long, smooth, beautiful stem till il
reached the top of the lake, But when
she attempted to draw it in again; she
found it would not come. But instead |
Of that, little bud grew on the end of |
the stem. She called, but the bud give
no answer; it only swelled and grew lar
ger and larger, and the rains fell on it, !
and the sun and the moon seemed to smile
on it and cheer it, till Mt last it burst open
full of joy, and found itself the white, |
sweet, pure water lilly? Its leaves were
of the purcst white, and in it's center was
n golden spot. covered with down. 1t
lay upon the top of the water; and bask
ed in the sun, \ most beautiful object.
The root fed it, and felt that II was really
herself, though in n new form. The
humming- bird paused over it, and thrust
in it's little bill to suck its sweetness
The air all around was made sweet by !
its fragrance. Still it felt that it was of |
no use in the world, and wished it could |
do something to make others happy.
At length the splashing of oars was
to see what it meant. Just then she
heard the voice Of little boy in the
boat saving,
let me get it,
Then the boat turned slowly towards
it and the little boy put out his hand and
seized it. The long stem broke off near
the root and the child held il in his hand
1t seemed the fairest, sweetest thing he
ever saw
Snow what will you do with it?" asked
the father.
"Tlllook at it and smell of it
rs there nobody else that would like
to see it and smell Of it p
II don't know, sir. Oh yes, now I
think! Would not Jane Irving love to
have it p
II think she would"
That afternoon poor Jane Irving, who
lived in the cottage Just under the me
pie trees, lay on her sick bed alone She
was poor. motherless chilli. She knew
she had the consumption and must die
She was thinking. about the dark, cold
grave. and wandering how Christ could
ever open it and make her come out a
tear stood in each eye, just as the little
boy came to her bedside with the white
See here Jane, I got that away out
n the lake and brought il for you, i
thought YOU would like it."
Thank you, thank You! 1t is indeed /
very beautiful and very sweet. What
ong stem. Where did it growF'
1T grew out of the mud in the bottom
If the lake. and this long stem, as long
As AMMAN, shows how far down it grew
II WIS all alone-not another one 10 be
seen: am glad you like it, but must
20, "end away ran the little boy.
Jane held the pure white flower in her
hand and the good spirit seemed 10 whis-
per IN her heart, Jane. ,Jsnei don't YOU
see what God can do? Don't YOU see
that ont of dark, foul mud. he can bring
out thing more beautiful than the, gar
ments or = faeen and As pure as an an
gel swing; and can't He also from the
dark grave, raise up your body pure.
and beautiful, and glorious? Can YOU
doubt it?'' And then ayioce seemed to
say. III am the Resurrection and the
Life" and the heart of the poor child
was filed with faith, and the angel of
away her tears, and the little
lilly preached of peace and mercy
when 1t withered. she thanked God that
nothing need be useless.-[S. S. Times.
How TO Preserve YoUNa TREES FROM