The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-05-21
FLOWERS ON THE COFFIN LID.
BY ANNA u. BRADLEY.

"Yes, he had many good traits. |
never liked him while he lived, but !
always speak well Of the dead"
listened with a sad hungry cry OF
pain in my heart, which | could not
hush. We stab with cruel words, or
freeze with cold neglect the living :;
but kindle fires OF gentle memory up
on the silent grave, and always
speak well Of the dead
| find no fault with the last, Cold
and inscnSate, indeed, must be the
heart that can stand beside the coffin
bed and drag to light the one time,
faults OF the helpless sleeper. Over
the unloycly past even the most un-
friendly hero will gently draw the
vail and whisper softly" Resquiescat
in pace"
This is at it should be. But sadly |
ask myself why need we wait until the
heart has ceased to feel joy or woe be-
fore we learn to be generous? Why
not now whisper words of approval:
Why not to-day drop in the path,
some OF the seeds OF tenderness which
we are rcScrving to plant about their
graves?
II, as some think, the spirit OF the
dead still hovers about its earthly
home, l can fancy it whispering sadly
to its hower-strewu clay: The gentle
words they speak tonight have lost
their power to cheer. While we were
together we were often hungry for a
love we did not receive; thirsty for
the word OF sympathy or approval
which we failed to hear; sick and 10
prison OF spiritual loneliness, but
the hand which could 50 easily have
removed our prison bars forgot, and
left US alone. And now, oh worn out
body, you are dead You have no
need for costly flowers piled high
upon your pulseless breast. Their
fragrance and their beauty are all un'
felt by you; unneeded now by me.
But oh, il on each day Of our weary
journey, only one simple flower had
been given by them to us. The ear In
which they pour their kindly words is
dead; but oh, how eagerly we listened
once for words which never came till
now. | hear them telling OF kindly
errands upon which our willing feet
have sped; of gentle deeds Filling
hands have wrought; OF tender words
of hope and cheer we tried to speak tt
other hearts discouraged. | hear then
telling Of how they priced all this
How priceless would have been thi:
knowledge once. 1t would have mad
the way so much smoother; the bur
dens SO much lighter the words mucl
easier to speak. But 1t comes too lat
tonight; for you, near clay, lie dead
and am beyond all need of help"
Oh, friends, let US not wait TO
, Death to bring rest and peace to tn
r tired heart before we remember hoy
faithful it is. In every home there i
q always one who bears the heavies
$ burdens; whose working hours ar
the longest, and whose need for res
= and recreation is too often overlooked
r 1t may be a father or a mother;
may be only a servant; but one thcr
y is beneath whose weary frame ther
:, beats a hungry heart. A tithc Of tn
love we will lavish on them dca
would gild with glory their life to.da.
. Don't wait.
/, Lately a teacher in a large scho'
died from mental and physical G.
'. haustion. Over her flower-hid cOfi
e how touching were the encOniun
n lavished upon her! Not one OF all tt
% teachers had been so faithful an
true. Her beautiful life, fragrat
.. with the incense OF seli.sacritce, ha
!. been a stimulant to all. And the In
3 pulse she had given to nobler though
+. and purer living would never die, bl