The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-01-12
The Little Folks Column.
The Angel.

"When "a good child dies, an angel
of God comes down from heaven,
takes the dead ci,ild in his arms,
spreads out his great white wings.
aud flies with him over all the nice
places which the child has loved du-
ring his life. Then he gathers a
large handful of flowers, which he
carries up To the Almighty, that they
may bloom more brightly IN heaven
than they do on earth. Aud the AL
mighty presses the flowers to His
heart, bat He kisses the flower that
pleases Him best, and it receives a
voice and is able to join the song OF
the chorus of bliss"
! These words were spoken by an
angel of God, as he carried dead
child up to heaven, and the child
listened as if in "A dream. Then they
passed over well known spots, where
the little oae had often played, and
through beautiful gardens all full of
lovely flowers.
(which OF these shall we take
with us to heaven to be transplanted
tuclct d>hCu tiit tn9Ci.
Close by grew "a slender, beautiful
rose bush, but some wicked hand
had broken the stem, and the half
opened rosebuds hung faded and
wIthered on the trailing branches.
.'Poor rose bash" said the child,
..let US take it with us to heaven, so
that it may bloom above i'll Gods
garden"
The angel took up the rose bush;
then he kissed the child. and the
little one half opened his eyes. The
angel also gathered some beautiful
flowers, as well as a few humble but
tercups and hearts ease.
snow we have flowers enough, said
the child, but the angel only nod
ded, he did not lily upward to hea-
ven.
1t was night, and quite still in the
great. town. Here they remained,
ANA the angel lowered over small !,
narrow street, in which lay large
heap of straw, ashes, and sweepings
from the houses of people who had
removed. There lay fragments OF
plates, pieces of plaster. rags, old
hats and otncr rubish not pleasant
to see. Amidst all this confusion,
the .angel pointed to the pieces of "a
broken dower-pot, aud 10 "a lump OF
earth which had fallen out of it.
Tie earth had been kept from fall
ing TO pieces by the roots OF ii with
cred field flower. which had beeu
thrown away there amongst the rub
Dish.
ave will take this with u.s." said
the angel, IL will tell you why rs we
+ fly along" And as they flew the
angel related the story:
"Down in that narrow lane, in a
low cellar, lived poor sick boy; he
had been afflicted from his childnood,
aud even ia his best days he could
just manage to walk up and down
tine room on crutcheS once or twice.
but no more. During some days i'll
summer, the suDbeatns would lie on
, the floor of the cellar for about halt
. an hour. In this spot the poor sick
! boy wonld sit warming himself in
the sunshine, and watching the red
I blood through his delicate fingers as
he held them before his face. Then
, he wodld say he had been out, yet
) lac knew nvtiiBg of the green forest
, in its spring verdue till IA neighbor' :
son brought him "a green bough from
! u beech tree. This ne would place
over his head, and fancy that he
. WAS in the beecli<wUod, while the
sun siIone aud the birds carolie,l
) gaiiy. One spring day the neigh
T; Uors boy brougnt him some held
I flowers, and among them was one
10 which the root still adhered. This
, he carefully planted III Il flower pot,
5 and placed i'll a window-sea nea,
| his bed. And the flower had been
planted by fortunate hand, for il
| grew, put forth fresh shoots, and
: blossomed every year. 1t became
a spieudid flower garden to the boy
, and his little treasure upon earth.
He watered it, and cherished it. ansl
took care that it should have the
benefit of every sunbeam that found
its way into the cellar, from the very
earliest morning ray TO the evening
, sunset. The Hover entwined itself
| even in his dreams for him it blos-
somed, tor him spread its perfume.
Aud it giaddered his eyes, and ~
the flower Ire turned, even III death,
when the Lord called him. He has
been one year with Cod. During
1 maj time t.tr Hovar has stool i'm tftt
window, withered and forgotten, till
, at length cast out among the sweep
5 ings into the street, on the day OF
: the dodgers, removal. And this poor
Mower we have added to our nosegay
+ because it gave more real joy than
the most beautiful flower ia the gar
t den of queen.
. but how do you know all this y
: asked the child whom the angel was