Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-11-11
Flowers at Funerals.


About fifteen years ago / was called TO
oihcate at the burial of a sweet girl, about
sixteen years Of age Her parents stood high
in society and she was their only child
When entered the spacious parlors, and
went to the coffin, the face was so fair that it
seemed to me az if the world on the other
side was shining through il. But She seemed
lonely In her narrow chamber she lay, in
pure white, without single flower | could
not bear it, and without saying a word to any
one left the room There was, within q
block, garden and nursery. whose proprietor
well knew fairly ran to his greenhouse,
and without salutation cried out, Davidson,
cut me everything choice, that is white that
you have got"
With my hands full of white roses, tube
roses, orange-blossoms, sweet alyssum etc.
returned and entered the parlor The mo-
ment | passed the door, every one seemed
moved by the same impulse The father and
mother rose up in tears and came to the cof-
fin. Friends took them from me and began
dressing the coffin with them, and the mother,
with deep sigh, said 'Oh, this is just what
we wanted Bat we were too full Of sorrow
to think of them"
Will any one tell me why those flowers
ought not to have been there Can any one
refuse flowers to dying bodies Of those who
are disciples Of Him of whom it is said,
" Now in the place where he was cruoi6ed
there was garden, and in the garden a new
sepuchre. There lid they Jesus
For my own part shall never cease to be
. ~. Il Al II L.. Ill A.. Es..,
gelists,) mentioned that comforting fact.
After the grim horror Of the arrest-night
the fierce crueties of the trial, and the bur
den and anguish of the crucidxion, it is
inexpressibly soothing to follow the sacred
form to the quietude Of garden and lay him
down in a cool rock chamber, around which
flowers hung There in the morning, flowers
dropping with the weight of dew, leaned their
heads against the stone not knowing whose
sepulchre they made beautiful, nor that the
perfume which they exhaled was nobler
offering than all the incense of the sanctuary I!
There in a garden, among green leaves, and
fragrant vines, and spicy blossoms, aud leaves
murmuring in the gentle wind, he rested, and
waited for the auspcious day when, lifting
his head with renewed life, he should lift up
to new hope and sublime destiny every man
on earth
If there were no other reason, it is enough
that friends are comforted. What mother
?. but is glad TO see her innocent child, never so
dear and beautiful as in death, lying amidst
fragrant flowers Who that has true senti-
ment hut feels that something is taken away
of the earthiness of death by the presence OF
/ flowers?
Must we forever regard death from the
heather standpoint Shall we forever give
way to grief without restraint Shall we
studiously endeavor to make sadness yet sad
der, and grief yet more anguishful ? Shall
we mufflo ourselves in black and funeral SMELL
ing Grape, and sing doleful hymns, and weep
out mournful prayers, and meanwhile refuse
all sense of victory, all hope of Immortality
all knowledge that there is no death to true
soul but only exaltation into better life
&c will not leave you comfortlcss,' said
the Savior. Yet, ten thousand Christians
have so gloomily borne their bereavement
that the young and men of the world look
: upon death as the one awful catastrophe o.
life They have dressed their houses il
5 weeds, and left the corse so bald and bare, il
the bodily dishonor of death, that men hav'
no reason to believe that Christ walks witt
his disciples in the valley and shadow o
DEATH or that he plucks heavenly flowers anC
dresses Herewith the hearts Of his followers
S so that their griefs, like his own suffering
body shall rest in garden.