Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-03-25

will wear lilies tomorrow with my
bridal dress. they are so white and
pure, and see, they have golden
crowns like the saints in the pictures.
Consider the lilies, they toll not
neither do they spin But l have
toiled," her voice rising, II have spun
and what has il come tot"
She lay silent for a few minutes,
holding the flowers to her bosom, and
when she spoke again it was in a
changed voice, and she seemed by an
effort to regain a consciousness of her
surroundings.
"I'm very il" she murmured, land
my mind wanders, 1 suppose. You
brought me those lilies, l know" to
Alice. THANK you for them. Will
you hang them where l can look at
them all the time! My hands are
too weak to hold them, and they are
so sweet and precious to me.
David" as her husband and child
brought the tea to her, "you see His
messenger has come to me-the lilies
l mean. l am not afraid any longer
to cross the river. Somehow, the
messenger came to me in the flowers
l love best. I'm not strong enough
to tell you all they say, only that I'm
not to be afraid. Put one in my
hand that l may hold it as sign.
Safe, safe, thank God !"
She dozed little and suddenly
with start, her eyes opened and her
lips smiled.
Beautiful, beautiful" she gasped,
great ranks of snowy lilies whisper
ing to me. What are they saying ?
What" The ecstatic, expectant look
in her beautiful eyes dimmed, and
with deep drawn sigh her soul had
flown to hear the meaning of her Wis.,
ion at the foot of the great white
throne.
Alice, with streaming eyes, left the
husband and child alone with their
dead, promising to send help to per-
form the last sad Offices. When she
had done that, although it was late,
she took her way to the church.
AS she entered. her eyes fell on the
font, brown, bare and undecorated, a
mar to the bright adornments around,
and glancing at Clara's face, she saw
such indignant surprise that she al
most quailed before the impending
storm.
81 must say your conduct is dis
graceful, unpardonable!' Clara cried
when church was over. "Just look
at that" pointing to the font, with
tears of vexation in her eyes. Gall
our pains and work yesterday thrown
away, and people laughing at us.
Where have you been, what were you
doing, and where are the lilies your
mother said you started from home
with ?"
"Come with me, Clara" Alice said,
land you will see." AS they walked
towards the emigrant's wagon, she
told her friend the outlines Of the sad
tale.
She was touched to the heart, and
the sight of the poor emaciated body,
laid out decently, and covered with
lilies from head to foot, almost over
came her.
81 put them all about her." the
man said to Alice. "She was the
best woman in the world, and pious
too. But she was awfully afraid to
die, and no one dared tell her how
near the end was. Somehow, those
flowers seemed to bring her mes.
sage from the other world. l don't
understand it. Miss, and suppose you
don't; but when you brought those
flowers, you did the kindest act one
human could do to another. God
forever bless you. You came like
the Easter angel we read about to
me and mine."
ut was better than decorating the
font" Clara said, as the two girls re-
turned from the funeral that evening.
"Ah me and l was so furious with
you for negIecting what l thought
your duty, and have learned u
lesson"