The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-13
TWO FLOWERS.

rock, in a crevice where the earth was
hard and poor. Perhaps a bird brought
the seed there. or the wind that bloweth
whittier it listeth swept 1t away from
SUMMER home. Who knows why IL did
not tall upon good groundi But there 1t
lived and grew slowly. slowly-a little
plant. with fragile stem and pale green
leaves. A careless stroller trampled II one
day and lett it crushed and broken. Still
it chung to life and would not die, but
lifted its head feebly toward the sky
once more. Fierce frosts of winter
ana burning summer sun failed to kill It.
Late IN the year. when other roses had
long since bloomed and scattered their
faded petals for and wide, came a single
blossom on the little tree. A tiny flower it
was. pale and delicate-the very ghost OF
rose. with fragrance faint as that of buds
pressed in old love letters.
One, only, in oil the little world sround
noticed the supreme achievement of this
starved plant One heart felt q glow of
pleasure in watching it's unfolding that
trellised rose. riotops in growth. gorgeous
in color might not have bestowed in hap
pier season. The memory of that pale
blossom fingers with that observer and
serves ne an inspiration to effort in hours
when struggle ana effort seem unayalling.
A few brief hours of life IN the shadow,
then the lonely rose faded, the stem which
had sustained IL dropped as If conscious
that il could do no more. the leaves turned
brown. the hungry roots ceased to strive
for life-the rose was dead.
Il
A child was born one day into Q home of
poverty and sorrow, where her coming
brought no glsdness to the mother mourn
ing the recent and sudden death of her hus-
banda man of the toiling millions. The
child was pale and puny. but she lived and
slowly won her welcome from tho sad
mother heart, and became at last q COM
forter. But though she lived she did not
grow fair and sturdy as it is the right of
babyhood to do. AS months went by the
limbs heightened, but they had no baby
roundness, and the little frame grew twist
ed and bent. Nature was unkind and gave
q stunted. deformed body to this human
soul-a body from which the thoughtless
turned with shudder and at whose sight
the compassionate were moved with tender
pity. But from the drawn. prematurely
aged face that accompanies such deform-
tiles, out of soft eyes that no affiiction
could dim, looked forth bravely the soul
that this body clothed. Only to the
mother had the child charm because only
the mother heart, grown discerning with
late developed love. penetrated beyond
the outward seeming and recognized the
beauty within. 1t was not the blindness
of maternal affection, but the keener In
eight given by an infinite wisdom to
mothers that enabled her 20 discover the
lovelness that was invisible to duller eyes.
For beauty was there-s beauty of spirit.
The law of compensation that 40 frequent
ly offers the physically afflicted q
degree of atonement for their defects
had bestowed upon this fragile bit OF hu-
manity O sweetness of nature and cheer
fulness that no pain or suffering could ex-
tinauish. Patient. affectionato laughter
loving, easily amused and always serene
was this little one on whom life frowned.
In the Woodworking mothers weary exist.
thoughts of the child's misfortune were
forgotten in the light of her happy pres
ence. She was a consider and an inspira-
of childhood this cheerfulness seemed: diff
ferent from the irrepressible spirits of
healthy infancy. 1t was rs ii brightness
and peace. born of higher knowledge.
SO. for a few brief years she remained,
always joyous and happy, and making life
worth living to the mother whose all she
was Then one day the slender hold on life
loosened and the little soul freed itself
from the misshapen body and went out
into the unknown. The mourning mother
with emptied arms and treasure lost" WAS
yet not as one without consolation. Never
had she been able calmly to forecast her
daughters earthly future. knowing her
share would be only pity or ridicule. and
that the fullLess of love and w0manly life
could never he hers. though she reached
woman's years. Now she could dream of
her, this transplanted rose, flower worthy
kinder world. and heaven to the bereaved
seemed near, and as time passed
nearer and yet more near. Her heart was
wrenched at the parting, but she knew
that longer years would have brought
grief to the beloved. and so comforted her
self with the fragrance of the life that had
faded and .thankfulness for the tender
blossom that had been hers for little
space. i
Many soul lives in the shadow like the
rose; it is placed in the world where hopes
and ambitions can be only dreams. It may
feel the divine instinct to rise, but it Is
SO weighted. sometimes so dwarfed. by the
pressure of circumstance that it can only
gr0pe blindly toward the light. The
brightness, the sparkle, the wine Of life
are far beyond. 1t becomes acquainted
with grief,' for the storms and burdens of
humanity 90 not pass 1t by. 1t reaches out
thirstily and tastes only bitter wsters. For
the JOY of living for the recompense of be-
ing born into the world, if any compenss-
ti0n there be- such soul must wait until
the hereafter. If, with ali it's pitiful,
starved existence, lonely and denied. 1t
blooms into beauty for an hour. and, con-
sciously OF unconsciousiy, adds a pleasure
to q ellow-being's life, perhaps the Master
of the harvest welcomes the offering not
less than the full sheaves laid at His feet
by nnnra fnrfun al q aarvanfa For each hafh