The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-07-26
PLEASE OMIT FLOWERS

A little band of Sunday school chill
dren, belonging to a mission church in
this city, says the Detroit Free Press,
heard of the death of their teachers lit
tie daughter, and met together to talk
about it.
The little girls name was Daisy. They
had only known her by good deeds and
an occasional glimpse of her sweet face.
The church which she attended was in a
different part of the city and among a
different sort Of people. But she had
often visited the waits" and given
them presents at their school fetes
Now she was dead. She who had faith.
er and mother, home and friends, had
gone away from them all, leaving DIES.
olate blank in her beautiful home.
We must beg some flowers to take
her, said one of the waits at last, voic,
ing the wishes of the band.
She wouldn't like that, said another
waif, that we beg for her that had sc
much.
Mime brudder. he sells nit de wild
flowers yer many, said little kinder
maiden.
So | We will gather the wild flower,
then, that grow by the trees and grass
said another.
l can make a daisy chain, said thu
smallest child there, and my mother
she taught me how when I was leetle.
The other children laughed at the lit
tie woman's wisdom, then counseled to-
gether and with hats and baskets wen
to gather the daisies.
They worked all the morning in thu
hot sun, and by afternoon they haC
woven yards and yards of daisy chair
they made lovely links with their stal
like flowers.
But there was a sad time when the
children reached the school building
and waiting teacher showed the notice
appended to their Daisy's death :'Pleast
omi; flowers and explained its meaning
They had no argument to advance Il
prove their right to offer their memoir
ial. The tears came into their eyes anC
stayed there, and no one said word.
Presently up went chubby hand ,an(
a clear please teacher compelled atten
ton. 1t was the same little waif whit
had suggested the daisy chain.
The teacher listened to what she hat
to say with thoughtful face. Thu
children smiled again. That afternoon
when the sunset bars were slanting thei
lines of light on the desolated threshold
from whose door the black flag of deatl
dropped, a little band of children cam
noiseessly and raped with timid fling
ers on the shrouded panel. They wer
the waits bringing their Offering of love
1t was Daisy's father who opened tn,
door, aud. without a word Of welcOm
or greeting, said.
We want no flowers here, children,
Because his flower lay blighted Their
he could not abide the bloom and beau
ty of any floral messengers, Then
little voice piped up:
We haven't bought any flowers. teach
err. We geddered dem in de fields, an
they are only common, We brough
them for your daisy, cause-cause W
But here the little one broke down
and the next moment was clasped sob
bling in her teachers arms.
Many who read these lines will knoS
now why lovely child but lately lai'
away was wound from head to foot il
a coiling chain of daises. Some said
was new freak of fashion, but all ad
mitted that it was wonderously fair, an
that the starry eyed marguerites put t
shame all fairer flowers, Now they wi
know that within that golden chain wa
woven love that made every strand
bright connecting link with Heaven.
where the faded flowers freshen
| Freshen, never more 10 fade"