The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-04-05
suggest something bette-; but the God

SuSSsoeSt SOtilctilils5 Dettc-9 utit Lie OOu
who SECS the twenty. forty, fifty years Of
welded life before they have begun, ar
ranges all for the best. So that flowers,
in almost al cases, are appropriate for
the marriage day. TIE divergences of
disposition viii become correspondence,
recklessness will become prudence,
frivolity will be turned into practicaity.
There has been many an aged widowed
soul who had carefully locked bureau,
and in the bureau "a box, and in the box
a folded paper, and in the folded paper
half blown rose, slightly fragrant, dis
colored, carefully pressed. She put it
there forty OF fifty years ago. On the
anniversary day of her wedding she will
go to the bureau, she will lift the box.
she will unfold the paper, and to her
eyes will be exposed the half blown bud,
| and the memories of the past will rush
upon her, and tear will drop upon the
flower; and suddenly it is transfigured,
and there is stir in the dust of the
| anther, and it rounds out, and it is full
of life, and it begins to tremble in the
procession up the church aisle, and the
dead music of a half century ago
comes throbbing through the air; and
vanished faces reappear, and right hands
are joined, and manly voice promises:
81 will for better or for worse, and the
wedding march thunders a salvo of Joy
at the departing crowd; but sigh on
chat anniversary day scatfers the scene.
Under the deep fetched breath, the altar,
the flowers, the congratulating groups
are scattered, and there is nothing left
but trembling hand holding faded
rosebud, which is put into the paper, and
| then into the box, and the box carefully
| placed in the bureau, and, with a sharp,
sudden click of the lock, the scene is
over.
All, my friends, let not the prophecies
| of the flowers on your wedding day be
| false prophecies. Be blind to each others
| faults. Make the most of each others
| mad at oncel Remember the VOWS, the
ring on the third finger of the left hand,
and the benediction of the calla lilies.
3. If you insist ON asking me the ques-
ton, what are flowers good for2 an
swer, they are good to honor and COM
fort the obsequies. The worst cash ever
made into the side of our poor earth is
the cash of the grave. 1t is so deep, it
is SO cruel, it is so incurable that it needs
something to cover it up. Flowers for
| the casket, flowers for the hearse, flowers
for the cemetery.
What contrast between grave in a
country churchyard, with the fence
broken down and. the tombstone aslant,
and the neighboring cattle browsing amid
the mullen stalks and the Canada
|
wood, the wave of roseate bloom rolling
to the top of the. mounds, and then
breaking into foaming crests of white
flowers all around the pillows of dust.
1t is the difference between sleeping un-
der rags and sleeping under an
embroidered blanket. We want
Old Mortality with his chisel to so
through all the graveyards of Christen-
dom, and while he carries chisel in one
hand, we want Old Mortality to have
some flower seed in the palm of the other
hand.
.'Oh," you say, 'sthe dead don't know !;
it makes no difference to them." Think
you are mistaken There are not SO
many steamers and rail trains coming to
any living city as there are convovs COM
| ing from heaven to earth; and if there
be instantaneous and constant communi-
cation between this world and the better
world, do you not suppose your departed
friends know what you do with their
bodies2 Why has God planted ''golden
rod'' and wild flowers in the forest and
on the prairie where no human eye ever
sees them? He planted them there for
invisible intelligences to look at and adj
mire, and when invisible intelligences
come to look at the wild flowers of the
woods and the table lands, will they not
make excursions and see the flowers
which you have planted in afectionate
remembrance of them?
When I am dead, l would like to have
a handful of violets-any one could pluck
them out of the grass, or some one coud
lift from the edge of the pond water
iily-nothing rarely expensive or insane
display, as sometimes at funeral rites
where the display takes the bread fror
the children's mouths, and the clothes
from their backs, but something from
the great democracy Of flowers. Rather
than imperial catafalque of Russian czar
ask some one whom may have helpe(
by gospel sermon or Christian deed Il
bring sprig of arbutus or a handful o
china asters.
1t was left for modern times to spell &c
spect for the departed and comfort fc
the living in letters of floral gospel. Pill
low of flowers, meaning rest for the pill
grim who has got to the end of his jour
ney. Anchor of flowers, suggesting tn
Christian hope which we have as al
anchor to the soul. sure and steadfast
Cross of flowers, suggesting the tree ol
, which our sins were slain.
|, If had my way, would cover up al
|, the dreamless sleepers, whether in colder
, handled casket OF pine box, whether
/, kings mausoleum or Potter's Field, wit
radiant and aromatic arboresence. Th
Bible says, in the midst of the gardel
there was a sepulcher. 1 wish tina
every sepulcher might be In the midst Q
a garden.
, 4. If you insist on asking me tn
question: What are flowers good for
I answer for religious symbolism. Hav
you ever studied Scriptural foraa Th
Bible is an arbetum, it is divine con
/ servatory, it is herbarium of exquisit
, beauty. If you want to illustrate th
brevity of the brightest human life, 20
will quote from Job; "a man comet
forth as flower and Is cut down." O
you will quote from the Psalmist: "a
the flower of the field, SO he perishetf
the wind passeth over it, and it is gone.
Or you will quote from Isaiah: ga
flesh is grass, and the goodness therec
is as the flower of the field" Or 70
, | will quote from James the apostle. "a
) the flower of the grass, SO he passet
: away" What graphic Bible symbolism
) All the cut flowers this Easter day wi
soon be dead, whatever care you take {
) them. Though morning and night yo
, baptize them in the name of the showel
the baptism will not be to them savin
ordinance. They have been fatal
: wounded with the knife that cut then
0 They are bleeding their life away; the
: are dyiug now. The fragrance in I'll
!. air is their departing and ascendin
8 spirits
t Oh, yes! flowers are almost huma,
8. II N 1S