The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-06-20
The Angel and the Flowers.


might leave Heaven for day and go
down to earth to visit the flowers and
birds and little children, for you must
know that no other earthly things please
the angels of Heaven as do the flowers,
the birds and the little children.
'Yes,' said the Father, you may go
down to earth, but be sure to stay no
longer than day; and when you come
back to Heaven bring me the loveliest
flower that you can find, that I may
transplant it in my garden and love it
for its beauty and fragrance. Cherish
it tenderly that no harm may befall it,
Then. the angel went down to the
earth, and he came to beautiful rose
bush upon which bloomed rose love-
lier and more fragrant than any of her
kind.
'Heyday, sweet rose,' said the angel
'how proudly you hold up your fair
head for the winds to kiss
'Ay, that / do replied the rose,
blushing, albeit she enjoyed the hattery.
But 1 do not care for these idle zephyrs
nor for the wanton sunbeams that dance
among the leaves all the day long. To-
night cavalier will come hither and
tear me from this awkward bush with
all its thorns, and kiss me with impas-
stoned lips, and bear me to his lady,
who, too, will kiss me and wear me on
her bosom, next to her heart. That's,
o angel, is the glory of the rose-to be
a bearer to kisses from lover to lover,
and to hear the whispered vows of the
cavalier and his lady to feel, the beating
of an impassioned heart, and to wither
on the white bosom of a wooed maiden.
Then the angel came to a lily that
rose fair and majestic from its waxen
leaves and bowed gracefully to each
passing breeze.
'Why are you so pale and sad, dear
lily p asked the angel.
my love is the north wind, said the
lily, 'and 1 look for him and mourn
because he does not come. And when
he comes and 1 would smile under his
caresses, he is cold and harsh and cruel
to me, and l wither and die for sea-
son, and when l am wooed back to life
again by the smiles and tears of heaven,
which are sunlight and the dew, 10! he
is gone
The angel smiled sadly to hear of the
trusting, virgin fidelity of the lily.
Tell me- asked the lily, will the
north wind come to-day p
NO. said the angel, nor for many
months yet, since it is early summer
now.'
But the lonely lily did not believe
the angels works. Still looking for
her cruel lover, she held her pale face
aloft and questioned each zephyr that
hurried by. And the angel went his
way.
And the angel came next to daisy,
that thrived in a meadow where the
cattle were grazing and the lambs were
frisking.
NAY, do not pluck me- cried the
daisy, merrily; Il would not exchange
my home in this smiling pasture for a
place upon the princess BOSOM
you seem very blithsome, little
daisy quoth the angel.
so 1 am, and why should l not be ?
rejoined the daisy. The dews bathe
me with their kisses, and the stars wink
merrily at me all the night long, and
during the day the bees come and sing
their songs to me, and the big cattle
caress me gently with their rough ton
CUES, and all seem to say: Bloom on,
little daisy, for we love you.' So we
frolic here on the meadow all the time
the lambs, the bees, the cattle, the
stars, and land we are very, very
happy
Next the angel came to camelia
which was most beautiful to look upon.
But the camellia made no reply to the
angels salutation, for the camellia hav-
ing no fragrance, is dumb-for flowers,
you must know, speak by means OF
their perfumes. The camellia, there
fore, could say no word to the angel, SC
the angel walked on in silent sadness.
Look at me, good angel cried the
honeysuckle 'see how adventuresome
1 am. At the top of this trellis dwell'
a lady-bird, and in her cozy nest are
three daughters, the youngest of which
90 to WOO. 1 carry sweetmeats with
me to tempt the pretty dear; do yor
think she will love me?'
The angel laughed at the honey
suckle's quaint conceit, but made nc
reply, for yonder he saw purple astel
he fain would question.
'Are you then so busy asked the
angel, that you turn your head away
from every other thing and look Away
into the sky7'
do not interrupt me- murmurec
the purple aster. Il love the great lu
minious sun, and whittier he rolls II
the blazing heavens, turn my face In
awe and veneration. l would be tht
bride of the sun, but he does not heed
my devotion and beauty !
So the angel wandered among the
flowers all the day long and conversed
with them. And toward evening hs
came to little grave which was freshly
made.
sDo not tread upon US, said the VIC
lets. Let us cluster here over thi:
sacred mound and sing our lullabies.'
TO whom do you sing, little flowers ?
asked the angel.
'We sing to the child that lies sleep
ing beneath us, replied the violets
All through the seasons, even under tht
SHOWS of winter we nestle close to thi'
mound to sing to the sleeping child
None but he hears US, and his soul i
lulled by our gentle music
But do you not often long for othe
occupation, for loftier service?' inquir
ed the angel.
Nay said the violets, I'VE are con
tent, for we love to sing to the littl
sleeping child
The angel was touched by the swee
humility of these modest flowers. HI
wept, and his tears fell upon the grave
and the flowers drank up the ange
tears and sang more sweetly than be
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