The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-01-20
For the .dnderson htelligencer.
Nothing Lives to Itself. :.

NltuOuo ohChi, aheo'S "oe~o w w. ~
her brightest jewels, and small as they
are, they have mission.
How often, as if by the wave of q
magic wand, they have lifted cloud OF
sorrow from the troubled heart, and
opened track through the crowded ex-
perience of the past, and brought up Wv
idly to the Imagination, all the characters
and incidents cloistered in the halls Of
memory. Little children gather flowers
and strew them in their pathway; the
youth plucks the sweetest rosebud and
honey-suckle /; and, our grandparents
gaze admiringly at the lovely flowers, be-
cause they touch the chords of memory,
and lead them back through the sunny
days of youth and childhood. We put
flowers in the cold hands of the dead, and
scatter them over the coffin. Why is all
this2 It is because they have language
of their own they impart cheerfulness
to everything around, and awaken the
better nature within us. Flowers certain
ly do not live to themselves.
The gentle breezes whisper, "God is
love-" as they dance and play through
the tree-tops, and then fly away to fan
the fevered cheek of the suffering invalid.
The SUN climbs above the eastern hills
and drives away the darkness. 1t does q
great work for man: were it not for its
sid vegetation would be destroyed (; and
there would be no beautiful colors to
greet the eye. The first rays of the
morning sun kiss away the dew-drops,
and all nature is bathed in. a food ofsun-
shine. When. it has completed its mis-
sion for the. day it quietly sinks beneath
the western horizon, and night spreads
her mantle of darkness. over the earth.
Then the full orbed moon steps out into
the great blue above, and lights the weary
traveller on hiy way. The. glittering stars
come out to tell us of Gods wisdom and
power. They do not live TO themselves.
MOI those far off lights seem full Of
meaning to us; they awaken the tender
est sentiments of the heart; cause feel
ing of awe and reverence to steal over us,
and lead US to think of Him who doeth
all things we'll" The stars must have
breatned sweet message of love to the
little girl who exclaimed, "Mother, the
windows of Heaven are open and the
angel, are peeping through them !"
a. lonely and bereaved mother watched
the pearly rain-drops ms they pattered
against the window near which she was
reclining. She was thinking-"my chill
dren FELL fast as these rain-drops. AS ]
was looking on them with the pride and
tondness, which only mother knows,
my precious jewels, one by one, sank into
an early grave" She cast her eyes up
ward and bright smile suddenly over
spread her face; for she noticed the rain
drops were all scattered, but no sooner
did they reach the earth than they uni
ted, formed a little stream and flowed
peacefully on together. This reminded
her forcibly of her own situation. The
members of the once happy family were
all scattered, just as these rain-drops
were, but as they united they suggested
10 her mind a thought of the happy re-
union which awaited them in the future,
when she would meet her children on
Heavens bright shore, where they are
already wearing their glittering crowns
and beckoning their mother on. The
rain-drops' mission did not end here ;
they refreshed the dropping plants and
fower, which spread over the earth to
make it beautiful.
These things should teach us lesson.
However frail we are, we have great
work to do.
Little Sa.bbath-shool scholars, you can
do something. Have you no little sick
friend for whom you might gather a
bunch of sweet flowers? Are there no
poor children living near you who are
destitute of the comforts of life? You
can hunt up other little boys and girls
and persuade them to. come to Sunday
school; you can tell them the story Of
the cross, as your parents and teachers
have taught you. Do not think because
you are small you can sit with folded
hands. You must do a child's work De-
fore you can become man or a woman
When our parents and teachers will
have faithfully finished their work, and
have gone to receive their reward, we,
who are now receiving the benefit Of their
instructions, must take their place in life
But we will not be left alone to battle
with life's stern trials. No! our guar
dian angels are ever with us, and if we
would heed their gentle whispers we
would secure our happiness both now
and hereafter.
Already one of our kind, faithful
teachers has left us, and, though we can
not cease to regret his departure, we love
to think Of him as we imagine he is now
Happy thought! he is waiting at Heav-
ems gate to greet his class Of little boys a
"welcome home"
Teacher, remember you are not living
to yourself entirely, but exert an infiu-
ence, either for good os evil, over the
minds and hearts of the children placed
under your care. Then fasten golden
strand in your pupils life-warp, so that
in after life, when they have grown to
manhood or womanhood, thought will
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