St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-12-21


as well as branches of exquisite buds
Of blush, orange and pink.
The lady formed sweet picture
as she bent over and arranged the
floral treasures sent her by rich
parishioner of her husbands. Her
blue eyes sparkled with delight, and
her voice was soft and silvery. She
was the mother of six lovely children,
and the widow felt that she would
surely pity her in her bitter grief.
Full of these hopeful thoughts, she
entered the church, approached the
altar, and preferred her modest re-
quest for one rose wherewith to
gladden. the eyes Of her dying child.
Madame Neils, although by no
means devoid of kindly feeling, was
proud in her own way, and had de-
termined that Sainte-Britta should
be the best decorated church in
the town. In what she mistook for
pious enthusiasm, she forgot that
the only true temple Of God is the
human heart-that charitable ac-
ton is more precious in his sight
than the costliest earthly offering
which can be laid on his material
altar. In the ardor of her outward
devotion, she forgot that Christ him
self had declared, "Inasmuch as We
have done it unto the least of one OF
these my brethren, We have done it
unto me, and in her mistaken zeal
she avowed that it would be little
less than sacrilege to rob the altar
of God of even one fair blossom.
Upon so great and joyful festival
as Christmas, it showed, she added,
a lamentable lack OF religious feeling
to prefer such a request. She point
ed out that poverty, sickness and
death were sent by God himself, and
the true Christian should submit to
them, not merely without a MUIR
muir, but joyfully, kissing the rod in
remembrance OF the gracious declar-
alton, GAS many as love | rebuke
and chasten." She offered to call
OH the following day for the purpose
Of exhorting Greta to submit to the
will of God with entire resignation.
The mother had now lost all hope,
and was returning to her home in a
still more Responding frame of mind
than that in which she had quilted
it. She walked on as in a dream,
scarcely noticing the fast-falling
snow, while longing with an inten.
sity bordering on agony that she
might have been able to procure
even few of the common flowers
= for her Greta. But none were to bt
found. Even the snowdrops hid
: themselves in the bosom of the
earth, and no primrose nor violet
would be seen for months. Thu:
sorrowfully musing, she continued
her walk, and in a few minutes
would have reached her miserable
! home, when by the light Of her Ian
e tern she saw a few green leave
peeping from the foot OF hedge
e which enclosed a garden in thu
neighborhood. STOPPING down, sh
y scraped away the snow with he
hand. Yes, there were leaves larg
r and lustrous, under which she fount
Y few green blossoms, some ful
e blown, Others in bud, but all pale
small and without color, perfume o
: beauty.
S "Ah!" thought she, as there wer
+ no roses to be procured, these flow
e ers have been sent that my chill
!, may be spared the pain OF KNOWN
e that there are hearts so cold an
hard that no woes of Others ca
y soften them, and who care for NJ
;, sorrows except their own"
d AS she FASTENED onward, the deer
n toned bell struck the hour of mic
k night and the joyous Christina
y chimes broke on her ear. kneelin
r reverently on the snowy grount
J. the mothers heart went up in graf
II tude, and she prayed the all-mercii,
e one to look with plying eyes on he
sweet and cherished Greta, pressin
lie the humble flowers to her bosom
~ III dUOluSl luOiuSuly SIN he'u i'SN
d and passed onward with her trea
& ure.
Id AS she drew back the curtain
g offer the dark leaves and little gree
n blossoms to her darling, she mac
" discovery which startled he
ne They had given place to large, e:
1s ouisite white blooms tinged with
Or delicate pink.
st Roses rosesl" cried Greta, ~
)" mother! who gave them to you
IL 1T was a Christmas present
he replied the astonished mother.
IN At the sight of these lovely CHRIS
Oh mas roses the dying girl bowed h
er head and softly kissed each precio
by blossom. Then she fell back on h
he pillow with sigh. "The light tn
as never was on land or sea- came
ed to the beautiful blue eyes, and b
IT. lips halfopened with a radia
'r, smile. The prophecy of the doct
a was fulfilled. The roses had a
peared, and her suffering were ende
cd Her pure young spirit had pass
upward in one ecstatic burst OF 10
~ and thanksgiving.
oh Since that time Qong ago. t
plant which grows under the hedg'
,ao &c ,,,,,,far IA