The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-02
|ernlng Star and Catholic Messenger:
-,.w oRIEANs, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1873
JUVENILE COLUMN.
THE SCARLET GERANIUM

,lley in one OF our large clues, my atIeu-
! s;on was attracted by a window, on the b
III, of which stood broken pot, with a "
So snarIet peranium in it. The love of flowers o
i ia q bond of union with all classes, rieh b
end poor, young and old. lNnever see q
them in the cottages Of the poor W %'I Iaoot
n which the inmates and myself are IN
aanumnathy. To give q cutting of favor
rite plant, what pleasure 1T gives 10
many poor woman, plant which she mas
Sums to be almost q part of her being: It
;s the one way in which they can, with a
4 certain amount of pride, give some return
co. little acts of kindness shown to them.
And it seems IS if the great God loveo 10
see these beautiful works of his giving
sIeasure and solace to the poor, for they
pnnaar to flourish and blossom better in
appa;r humble abodes than in those of their
s richer neighbors.
had entered the alley for the purpose
8 u beinc a visitor of the Conference OF st;
5 1-;nceSt de Paul, it had been just included
~ nv district, and, knew the abede OF
8 yery wretched set Of people. vent from
With the gerauium plant in it until tne
last. feeling quite sure that there, at any
10 7 should meet with some amount OF
n;v;l;ty. And was not mistaken, for on
knocking, clear: looking woman 9pen r
the door and invited me to walk in. Every
thing bore the mark of extreme poverty.
= Tn the oniy chair in the room was seated
q Young girl, apparently in the last stage OF
Consumption. Very emaciated anu weah
she appeared but there was an ! eaprestt
sion In her face which excited interest,"
more than compassion, an expression
which can hardly describe it seemed to
4 have it's origin within, and to be quite In
dependent Of external circumstances.
Il asked her few questons aoO5c 9TH.
ont one word of complaint. Then Grew
n her attention to the geranium, and SAID
hoped from seeing it there that she was al
a fond Of flowers as ] was. sngn1 cotU
tinged her cheek, ana sne sniisu, "r ootba
ooh. there, 1 don't know what we shoul'
ao without the flower ; it is everything T.
her ), how che does treasure ''' ~ =
asked what made it so precious
had it been gift from some one sh
q ssNot that exactly" she said, "and "
it is gift, gift from my faene Err man Mnn'
a aow tse sSy grow they toll not neither
thew spin and yet l say unto you, TN
even Solomon in all his glory was not
rayed like one of these. Wherefore,
God SO clothe the grass OF the ne1u' SUI
He not much more clotne YOU 20
little faith Z" .,.
took her band in mine, and silent
thanked God for giving me this lesson
faith and patience.
xs Sn silent. INV beautiful plant, it has
little story too. When / was little 81
we lived at the other end of the city, up
court that was better than this, for mott
was better off then, and poor father
alive: Opposite a. to %o us hn nieht and d.
used to think. Let any one go into
ward, be never looked off from his wor
there he sat with a large scarlet geranl
growing in an old earthen pan on one
Of him, and thrush in wicker cage
the other. AS child, it was my great
light to slip out and stand to watch the
man work.
remember we'll one day when he
to me- "Little maid, which 40 you
best, my flower, bird, or the old man n
self You seem very fond of coming
see one or the other of us"
''I think like you," SAID lana
other"
little hand. All! it is long year
since old Johnny held little child's b
in his like this" and he wiped tear a
with his shirt sleeve. 1 was half fright
ed, and as soon as he released me
away but before another day had pas
there / was again making frieno WIN
He told me another day. funny j
stories about his bird, which was
pet of his, ana Cnen auuou
know, little one, when l am busy at W
NV geranium and this good old bird
to me of God. look at them and g
of the wonderful hand that made Il
and of the loving Saviour who used
teach his disciples to consider then
am lonely old man now; once had
little maids to cheer my home now
are all my worldly treasures"
owe left his noighborhood two or
years since, and then he gave me
plant, hoping it would be as great a
fort to ma as it had been to him. L
+. out to service and left the plant
mother, and am sorry to say, soon tt
the good things he told me, for you
ma'am, they had not got into my d
Then was taken i'll, and was obig
go home to mother, aud poor tathe
from the scaffolding of the new Hail
was brought home dead, and, oh! it
sad house, and in my trouble beg
think eff old Johnny's sayings. Fou
months ago tits since was first take
At first it seemed 30 hard to be lai
but old Johnny heard was ILL.,, and
round to see me, and talked so beauE
IN me- about death, and heaven, aud