Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-07-07

Ihe Savlours heart and hands were weary,
too;
His garments stained, and travel-worn, and old,
His sacred eyes blinded with tears for YOU Il
Loye thou the path of sorrow that he trod;
Toll on, and wait in patience for thy rest
y, city OF our God we soon shall see
Thy. gracious walls, home of the loved and
b1est
The Angels-By Hans Christian Anderson.
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 handful
of flowers, which he carries up to the Almighty
that they may bloom more brightly than on
earth, and the Father presses all the flowers
to His heart; but He kisses the flower that
pleases Him best, and the flower is then endow-
ed with voice, and can join in the great chorus
of praise!
''See" this is what an angel said, as he
carried dead child up to Heaven, and the
child heard, as if in a dream; and they went
on over the regions of home where the little
child had played and came through gardens
with beautiful flowers which of ali these shall
we take with us to plant in Heaven?'' asked
the angel.
Now, there stood near them slender, beauti-
full rose bush but wicked hand had broken
off the stem, so that all the branches covered
with halfopened buds, were hanging around
quite withered.
The poor rose bush' said the child, ''Take
it, that 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 despised butter cup.
'Now we have flowers" said the child.
Aud the angel nodded, but he did not fly up
ward to Heaven. 1t was right and quite silent.
They remained in the great city they foated
there in small street, where lay whole heaps
of straw, ashes and sweepings, for it had been
removal day. There lay fragments of plates,
bits of plaster, rags and old hats, and all this
did not look well. AMI the angel pointed, amid
all this confusion, to a few fragments of flow
er pot, and to lump of earth which had fallen
out, and which was kept together by the roots
had therefore been thrown out into the streets.
we will take that with us, said the angel;
II will tell you why as we fly onward. -
down yonder, in4;he narrow lane, lived
poor sick boy; from his childhood he had been
bed ridden. When he was at his best he could
walk up and down the room few times, lean
ing on crutches that was the utmost he could
do. For few days In summer the sunbeams
would penetrate few hours to the floor of his
room, and when the boy sat there, and the sun
shone upon him, and he looked at the red
blood in his three fingers, and he would say,
Yes to-day he has been out J! He knew the
forest with its beautiful vernal green only from
the fact that the neighbor's son brought him
the first green branch of beach tree, and he
held that over his head and dreamed he was in
the beach wood, where the sun shone and the
birds sang.
On spring day the neighbor's boy brought
him also field flowers and among them was. by
chance, one to which the root was still hanging,
and so it was planted in flower pot, and plac-
ed by the bed, close to the window. And the
flower had been planted by fortunate hand,
and it grew, threw out new shoots, and bore
flowers every year. 1t became a splendid flow
er garden to the sickly boy-his little treasure
here on earth. He watered it, and tended it
and took good care that it had the benefit of
every ray of sunlight, down to the latest that
struggled in through the narrow window aud
the flower itself was woven into dreams, for it
grew for him and gladdened his eyed and spread
its fragrance about him and towards it he turn
ed in death, when the Father called him. He
has now been with the Almighty for year
for year the flower has STOOD forgotten in the
window, and is withered and thus, at the re-
moval, it has been thrown out into the dust of
the street. And this is the poor flower which
we have taken into our nOsegay, for this flower
has given more joy than the richest in Queens
garden.
''But how do you know all this ?" asked the
child
II know it." said the angel, 'for I myself
was that boy who walked on crutches | know
my flower well.
And the child opened his eyes and looked in
to the glorious, happy face of the angel, and at
the same moment they entered the regions
where there is peace and joy. And the father
pressed the dead child to his bosom, and then
it received wings like the angel, and flew hand
in hand with him. And the Almighty kissed
the dry, withered field flower and it received a
voice and sang with all the angels lowering
around-some near and some in wider circles,
and some in infinite distance; but all equally
| happy. And they all sang-little and great.
flower that had lain there withered, thrown
among the dust, in the rubbish of the removal,
in the dark, narrow lane.
| PAY Your PREACHERS. is an evil of the
present day in all denominations in the South,
that their ministers are not properly paid.
We have often been panied to see this fact
noticed in the proceedings Of the annual as
semblages ofthe various denominations of Chris
tians.
1t is true that the State has been terribly
desolated by war, and that the people are moi
so we'll off good deal as they were before 1860
But so much the greater need for exertion in
behalf of those who have devoted themselves tC
the spiritual welfare of their hocks; who can
not pursue any other calling by which to obtaiI
livelihood, and who, from the nature of theil
profession, have but little time to look afte
their worldly affairs.
Truly the condition of a clergyman is pitt
) able one, who has to perform the onerous dutie
J of his parish, and yet is not furnished by hi
. parishioners with the wherewithal to supper
himself and family
The Master has told us that ''the laborer i
worthy of his hire :" and surely if this is tn,
case anywhere on the earth, it is In Virginia
for the abors of faithful clergyman in ou
r State are always very severe.
We hope that each man and woman of tn
separate congregations will resolve hencefortl
l that they will make all sacrifices demanded b,