, 1883-05-03
IS 1T WELLY

The beautiful boquet and wreath Of
flowers lay on the short coffin. Weeping
eyes and hearts were around it. Was
it well that the flowers were there? 1t
was. Well that they were planted, and
that they grew; well that time was spent
in cultivating them, and that they
blossomed, and well that their buds and
flowers were picked for this occasion.
Could they have spoken they would have
cried: why am | broken off to bleed and
wilt and die, And its companions would
have mournfully said, why? The owner
knew. Their ignorance alone would
have prevented their knowing.
1t is we'll with the child? Yes, far
better for the child than for the flowers.
Only the child's body will wilt, but the
soul, never. The egg-shell has been
broken, but the egg is not lost. The
better part has taken wings and flown
away to warble sweet songs in the air.
"Who plucked the flower?' cried the
gardener as he wandered through the
garden? "The Master" replied his fcl-
low servant, and the gardener was silent.
This is from an inscription on an ancient
grave yard. The gardener had planted,
cultivated it, and loved it because it was
so beautiful, but he knew it was not his,
and when he knew that the owner had
plucked it, he was silent. The owner
sometimes plucks our immortal flowers.
On many a child's tombstone may be
seen broken bud hanging down. Sad.
But on one in Connecticut is the figure
of stem with the bud broken off it is
true, but pure dove is carrying it away
upwards. This is hopeful, emblematic
of the angles carrying our broken buds
to heaven.
Was it better to have the flowers with
broken stems on the coffin or not to have
had them at all? With such feelings
DR.. Hall, of England, wrote to DR.. I. l..
Cuyler, of New York, when one OF the
twin children of the latter had been
plucked by the Master: "Mine has been
the continual sorrow Of not having one
in the home nest. Yours the pleasure of
having one, and then the sorrow of lay
ing him away, but with the anticipation
of meeting him again in the blessed
hereafter" And another wrote: "We
love our little ones not only for what
they are but for what they are to be.
Another who has one there wrote: "Fa-
vored ones are we who have little ones in
the training school of heaven" And
still another: "We have learned tbe
blessedness OF tears; they wash the eyes
that faith may see the farther into
Heaven" Ana even an Indian said
"The Great Spirit can take better care
Of your little one, than you; can give
him better home, and an education
among the anges."
And one other wrote: "My brother
and sister, look not on the grave; your
boy is not there; he is above with the
redeemed, his life has just begun. Look
up and see him in the arms of Jesus,
who says: Suffer little children to com
unto me- In the spiritual garden you
have now new interest; your own
plant is there; and the Great and good
Gardener has himself undertaken its cul-
ture. You may be sure it shall become
a glorious tree. Let not your heart be
troubled. A heavenly mansion has re-
ceived your darling child and ere long
you shall 60 to greet him there; then if
not before you will know the full import
of those blessed words: What / do
thou knoweSt not now, but thou shalt
know hereafter.
How these and other similar passages
are marked i'll any copy OF Cuyler's
"Empty Crib" 1t was done by mother
OF tenderest feelings whose little Mary
Law near the mountains OF Idaho. Every
day she walked mile to the grave to
weep there for weeks or mouths until her
friends feared she would lose her reason.
But when an older one began to be way
ward and to cause solr1w Of heart l
shall never forget how she said: "My
little Mary is safe. / am so thankful I
would not have her back for anything"
Like the mother of the Summarizes son
she had learned to say in answer to The
question. rs it well with the child"
1T is we'll"