The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-29

upon her eyelash.
= "And this?" Jessie asked, laying
her hand upon spray of mignonette.
"Kind thoughts planted it, "replied
the Angel; and those white margue-
rites you put there one peaceful Sab
bath day?"
"And this fuschia ?" the child asked.
rtYou planted that, Jessie, the night
that Edith could not 60 to the party,
so you remained at home with her.
You were very merry that evening,
though secretly disappointed; but see,
your pleasant thoughts formed this
beautiful cluster of BELLS"
"And this little violet ?" said Jessie,
stopping and parting the long grass
to bring the tiny blossom into view.
"Do you remember when cripple
boy came to you for help, and your lit
tie hands were empty? You had moth
ing to give-nothing but kind word.
The little flower is sweet, is it no" Z"
So Jessie passed on from flower to
flower, and then she paused. She had
lain her hand upon a bramble; and,
hesitatingly, she lifted her eyes to
the Angels face. For moment the
radiance seemed passed away ; but no,
| it shown forth beautiful once more,
as she took the wounded hand in her
own, and said, "Anger planted that"
And they passed on to other things.
But now Jessie did not stop before the
flowers, but sought out the noxious
weeds and bravely asked concerning
them. So she found that when she
had been angry, selfish, and unkind,
she had been spelling the Garden OF
her Soul with ill-looking and ill-smell-
ing weeds, and thorns and nettles.
"There are so many" she said sor-
rowfully.
The Angel did not reply, but Jessie
saw that her face was clouded as
II will root them up," exclaimed
Jessie. She seized hold of stinging
nettle. but cried and drew back her
bleeding hands. Then she caught at
some course grass; but no effort could
dislodge it.
WNo, you planted them there for
ever,n said the Angel. "Only the
flowers can cover them up, and per-
hans. in the course of years, bring
them into likeness to themselves"
.Jessie's feet had now grown weary,
and she sat down to rest upon marble
seat upon an eminence that overlooked
the garden. The seat was circular,
and from one side she could see mostly
flowers, and mostly weeds from the
other.
"People do not know about their
gardens, DO they? ?" she inquired. II
Eeyer knew about mine until now."
.All do not know but there are
some who pause at times in their daily
outward travel, and enter their own
souls, and find this garden, and see
what they have been planting there.
They rest upon this seat but some
never sit but in one spot; and to them
the garden is either all weeds, or all
flowers. Thus some are self-condemn-
ing. while others are self-complacent.
Little one, have led you all through
your garden. You know what it con-
tains.
Jessie was silent. Then she crept
closer to the Angels side; and, lifting
her face so that the light fell upon us
confusion, she tremblingly asked,
"And what have I planted to-day"
Then the Angel LOOK ner ny lne h"nu
and led her to thorn-tree.
at is 50 large" cried Jessie. ,
"What thought have you nourlshed
in your heart the day long?" asked
the Angel. .,oo,,s
and there was the sound of word,
l"Hate." ,,,-
| Jessie glanced with hard, cold look
upon the thorns. The spell of the tree
was upon her. =,
INJURED. "She tore my flower" -,
"And you failed to forgive. That
was revenge" said the Angel
"Look !' :,
She ioosened a stone from wall
that ran along this portion of the gar
den. Jessie anxiously peered through.
There she beheld another garden.