The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-03-03
Ghilaren's Column. .
TRUST AND WATT.

trees OF the same species, whose flowers,
OF every size and hue, breathed fragrance
on the air of the bright summer morn
ing: Why was l ever taken from my
native hedge-row, where the bees slipped
honey from my blossoms, and the but
tertiles summed themselves among my
branches?"
-" And who are you ?" said beautiful
white rose, as she bent gracefully for
ward.
q 1 am now dried-up, useless stick"
replied the stock " aVaS the beauty and
pride of country lane, my flowers the
delight of the village children, and many
tired traveller as he passed by was re-
freshed by my soft fragrance Those
happy days are over forever; my leaves,
my flowers, my branches, all are torn from
me; and to aggravate my troubles, l am
placed here to be reminded by your
life and beauty of what was, and what
| am"
After the stock ceased speaking, there
was a sorrowful pause among her hear
ers; then the white rose said:
e" Do not be cast down, my poor friend,
you are not the only one thus afflicted
Look at me; [ was once as you are am
what you may be.
The stock only answered, sadly:
1t is impossible that your sorrows can
have been as great as mine; / cannot
think that my troubles make me any bet
ter, but worse"
"Then trust" said her companion !;
trust and wait.
Trust and waltz echoed they all, and
richer perfume seemed breathed from
their many-colored flowers; and the
breeze caught up the sound, and bore
1t over hill and dale to lovely wood,
where nightingale sat silent; and SO
beautiful seemed the words to the bird,
that, springing upward to the Hottest
bough of stately elm, he turned them
into music, and the sounds foated back
again to- the gaden, and were echoed in
the songs of the thrush and the innet
till "Trust and waitl' seemed whispered
and warbled all round the stock
" Do they all say SOP" thought she;
then I will try to do it"
By and by tiny graftwas inserted by
the gardener into her stem; but she
scarcely noticed it.
:" 1t makes little difference what they
do with me now" she thought; the old
days can never return. Still, l will trust
and wait.
And so she did, till summer-faded into
autumn, and winter laid his icy hand
upon the garden The flowers hung their
heads when they felt his cold breath, and
the leaves fell sadly from the trees as the
autumn wind warned them of his APP
proach The thrush and the nightingale
were heard no more; but from the bare
branches where they used to sing the
same words of hope came to the rose
stock In the shrill tones of the robin; for
Trust and waltz was the burden of its
song also.
At last winters icy reign was over.
from the hard ground the snowdrop
raised its modest head, and the pale,
sweet faces of the primroses smiled among
their broad leaves To the stock, too,
change came; leaves decked her once
bare stem, and new life seemed to thrill
through every fibre
But my sweet blossoms are gone for
ever! !" she thought.
Still the returning swallows brought
the same message as the nightingale and
robin had before, for they twittered
Trust and waltz as they sported in the
sunshine above her. All her companions
sprang into flower at the musical call of
June, but no bud appeared among her
leaves; yet the stock was content, for she
had almost learnt her lesson and once
more summer was succeeded by autumn
and autumn by winter Winter fed at
approach Of spring, and again all things
were awaking into life The rose-stock
was covered with large, beautiful leaves,
and among them, unknown to any but
the DEVELOPS and the sunbeams, tiny
bud was growing. Each day it became
larger and stronger, and yet so gradual
was its growth, that the stock hardly
knew of its existence. But one morning,
when the sun was taking his first peep
through the parted curtains Of the east,
she woke, and there, among her leaves,
rested lovely flower of deepest crimson,
bathed in dew-drops which the morning
sunbeams were turning into cluster Of
gems. For some minutes the tree "a wild
rose stock no longer gazed in wondering
delight at her beautiful offspring then
she turned towards her friend, the white
rose, and whispered softly
Look at the end of my 1Oaitinq, the
reward Of all my trust i''-EarH Days.