The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-06-09
THK ANGELS.
Ely HANS CHRISTIAN AxpRas Es.

Whenever good child dies, an angel from
heaven comes down to earth and takes the
dead child in his arms, spreads out his great
white wings and flies away over all the places
the child has loved. and picks quite hand.
iul Of flowers, which he carries up to the AZ
mighty that they may bloom more brightly
than on earth, and the Father presses all the
flowers 10 His heart but He kisses the flow
er that pleases him best, and the flower is
then endowed With voice, and can Join 10
the great chorus of praise
'tSee''-this is what an angel said, as he
carried dead child up to heaven, and the
child heard, as If in dream and they went
ON over the regions Of home where the
little child had played, and came tn. ougb
gardens with beautiful flowers-"whicn Of all
these shall we take with US to plant in hea-
ven? asked the angel.
Now, there stood near them slender.
beautiful rose bush but a wicked hand had
broken off the stem, so that all the branches.
covered with half-open buds, were hanging
around, quite withered.
1.-THE poor rose bashlf said the child.
"Take it. tina. it may bloom up yonder.''
And the angel took it, and kissed The child,
and the little one half opened his eyes They
plucked some Of the rich flowers, but also
took with them the wild pansy and the de-
spised butter cup.
Now we have flowers" said the child.
And the angel nodded, but he did not fly
upward to Heaven. II was night and quite
silent, They remainedin the great city they
fioated about there in small street, where
lay whole heaps Of straw, ashes and sweep.
in0s, for il had been removal day. There Law
fragments of plates bits Of plaster. rays and
old hats, and all this did no. look we'll.
And the angel pointed, amid all this confu-
sion, to few fragments ola flower pot, and
TO lump Of earth which had fallen out, and
which was kept together by the roots of a
great dried field flower, which was of no use.
and had therefore been thrown out into the
streets.
"We will take that with us, y said the angel.
II viii tell you why as we fly onward
Down yonder, in the narrow lane, lived =
poor sick boy from his childhood be had
been bed-ridden. When he was at his best
he could go up and down the room few
times. leaning on cruiches; that was the ut.
most he could do. For a few days in summer
the sambeams would penetrate fev hours
70 the hoor OF his room, and when the boy sat
there, and the snn shone upon him. and he
looked al the red blood in his fingers, IA he
would say, Yes to-day he has been out,' He
knew the forestwiLh its beautiful yernal green
only from the fact that the neighhor's son
brought him the first green branch of a
beach tree, and he held that over his head
ana dreamed he was in the beach wood
where the sun shone and the birds sang. On
spring day the neighbours boy brought him
also held flowers. and among them was. nv
chance, one to which the roo. was still hang.
ing and 50 1t was planted in flower not
and placed by the bed, close to the window,
ana the flower had been planted BY fortu-
hA.e nand and 1t grew, threw ont new shoots.
Huu pore flowers every year. 1t became q
spendih hower-earden to the sickly bow
Inae 'reasure here on earth. He watered If.
~, ,hs Tended y, and took good care that ii had
tae tates, that struggled in through the mar.
TOW window; and the flower itself va. woven
M s dreams, Tor it grew for him and gladden.
= u nus eyes and spread its fragrance ahant
TN ,m IN ana toward i he turned in dea,b. vban
sus amer chilled his. n. hh,x NOV -.
am a,.a we Almighty for year: for ! va.r II.
ao ss ma stood forgotten in the Nm.
~. ~ : w''aeTed and Tins, at the remnvsJ. !,
s,..s, 'nso|n out into the dast os ,ha.
ha,s ,.bsn aa ~, .hs - the poor flower u.s;ch -
has o;ran ~ ou. nosegay; for ih;s. fiora,
onasn,s a..do oss JOY than the riebess il !
child. - -4o" a'issisgs asked the
snns it, said the angel, ITO, -.
Vas that boy Who walked on crn,ehs. ! m tN
my flower well.'' know
And the child opened III. ave-. na,,
ana a .oe Rossoos, happy face Of the snael
S:aa 'as same moment they entered ,ha
regions sn.rs there is peace md =. A 'ns
me fa'ner Pressed the dead child - A no
bosom, ana tnen received vines III y. -
angel, and hew hand inN.nd LII ss nse me
the Almighty kis@d the dr.. n;,h In, n,,
flower, and Il received , soice s.a held
ell the sngels towering around saas sish
and some in wider circles. and some NEE nesf
mite distance, but Al esaaaiy happy. Ana Ana
they Ill sane-li.tls and great. The rood and
happy child, end the poor field 1aser thu,
had lain there w;thered, throwa among ,bs
dduss, IN The rssbisa Of.he seaoyal, ia the