Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-04-27
THE CHORUS OF THE FLOWERS
An FASTFR STORY

Twas near the hour of midnight, ant
everything was still, when a lovely wo
man, whose life had been overshad
owed by recent sorrow, wandered tt
the conservatory of her city home
and, sinking weariy y into rustic chair,
leaned her head against the vine -claC
lattice-work and peered out into the
night. just then the midnight belli
commenced to slowly ring out peal
of mellow chimes, and the woman, who
had weird passion for their sound
sat entranced A light breeze played
among the honey-suckles and othel
sweet-scented shrubs that grew around
her, and as the night wind passed ovei
them they shook their many-colored
flowers, and in low, sweet tones began
| 10 speak.
"We are children of many clImes,"
! they said, 'tand many of us are exiles
far from our native land We come
| from southern swamps and northern
forests; from tropical wildernesses,
from snow-clad regions and sunny
cllmes, but the same bright sun shines
down upon us, and the twinkling star.
Illumine the night for us Just as in our
far away home; therefore let us shed
Jul oNCClhtb5 Ou lut dLu DihhG
glad the land OF our exile with our fra
GRANGE and beauty"
Here the lilies of the valley sang 8
silvery peal behind their green, satiny
leaves: every day We die by hun
dreds, but our seeds are borne afar and
find refuge by some brook or beneath
some spreading tree, where by our
beauty and fragrance, we gladden. the
heart of some weary wayfarer, touch,
ing, perhaps, some silent chord which
reminds him of home and loved ones.
Then the eucharist lily said: "Even
so, my sister flowers, for to us was
given the command to increase and
multiply, to fill the earth with glory
and to beautify creation"
All the flowers nodded their heads
under the breath of the midnight
breeze, and the rose, in trembling ac
cents, said: Every day our lives are
taken to adorn, with all the beauty OF
floral life, the banquets of the rich, and
10 ornament mansions we are torn from
our kindred and friends, yet every day
rs the sun comes forth our stems are
| den again with floral riches n: a new
harvest of beauty"
A cluster of purple fuchsias shook
their heavy bells as if to say: 1--WE
proclaim love and beauty wherever we
60"
Then long spray of white lilac
swayed in the night air and wbispered
Remember, if all nature dies, all ma
tnre lives again. Death is but a change
that all must undergo"
Here the vIolets wept tears of dew
upon the carpet of veIvety moss at
their feet, and the tubero ses, like sculp-
tu-ed alabuster, gave forth a sweeter
fragrance and repeated: eff we die
We live again" Then the chimes from
church belfry near by rang out, say
ing: Il am the resurrection and the
life, and sweet chorus of thankful
ness was breathed by the flowery wor-
shippers as their odors were waited
heavenward upon the early morning
breeze, and dazzling shower of
golden beams fell upon them from the
rising sun of Easter morning.
The lovely woman arose, no longer
depressed, but with feeling of rest
and thankfulness. The flowers seemed
to wear an aspect they had never worn
before. Rich in the hues of spring.
time luxuriance, theg wooed to her
face the long -banished smile Of her
childhood. and bade her be patient ia
the present and hopeful IN the future.
VENI MCDONALD.