The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1899-04-07

There has been many an aged Wild
owed soul who had carefully locked
bureau, and in the bureau box, and
in the box folded paper, and in the
folded paper half-blown rose, slight
Iy fragrant, dlscolored, carefully
pressed. She put 1t there forty or fifty
years ago. On the anniversary of her
wedding she will go to the bureau,
she will lift the box, she will unfold
the paper, and to her eyes will be ex-
posed the half-blown bud, and the
memories of the past will rush upon
her, and a tear will drop upon the
flower, and suddenly it is transfig-
ured. and there is a stir in the dust
of the anther, and it rounds out, and 1t
Is full Of life, and it begins to trem-
BILE in the procession of the church
aisle. and the dead music OF half
century ago comes throbbing through
the air. and vanished faces reappear,
and right hands are joined, and man
ly voice promises, 81 will, for better
or worse" and the wedding march
thunders a salvo Of joy at the depart
| ing crowd; but sigh on that anniver-
sary day scatters the scene. Under the
deep-fetched breath, the flowers, the
congratulating groups are scattered,
and there is nothing left but trem-
bling hand holding q faded rosebud,
which is put into tho paper, and then
! into the box, and the box carefully
placed in the bureau, and with
sharp, sudden click of the lock the
scene Is over.
All, my friends. let not the prophe-
cies Of the flowers. on your wedding
day. be false prophecies. Be blind to
each others faults. Make the most OF
each others excellences. Remember
the VOWS. the ring on the third finger
OF the left hand, and the benediction
OF the Gala lilies.
II you ask me the question. What
are flowers good for l answer. They
are good to honor and comfort the
obsequies. The worst cash ever made
into the side OF our poor earth, Is the
cash of the grave. II is so deep, 1t is
so cruel, IL is so incurable, that 1t needs
something TO cover it up. Flowers for
the cssket. flowers for the hearse, flow
ers for the cemetery. What a con-
trast between a grave in country
churchyard, with the fence broken
down, and the tombstone aslant, and
the neighboring cattle browsing amid
the mullen stalks and the Canada this
ties. and June morning in Green
wood. the wave OF roseate bloom roll
| IN IN Of dc MI
breaking into foaming crests OF white
flowers all around the pillows OF dust!
1t is the difference between sleeping
under rags and sleeping under an en-
broidered blanket. We want Old Nor
tally with his chisel to go through
all the graveysrds in Christendom,a and
while he carries a chisel in one hand.
we want Old Mortality to have some
flower seed in the palm of the other
hand.
II was left for modern times to spell
respect for the departed and comfort
for the living in letters of floral Cos
pei Pillow of flowers, meaning rest
for the pilgrim who has got to the end
of his journey. Anchor of flowers, sus-
costing the Christian hope which we
have as an anchor Of the soul, sure and
steadfast. Cross OF flowers, suggesting
the tree on which our sins were slain.
II had my way, l would cover up all
the dreamless sleepers. whether in
golden-handled casket or pine box.
whether a kings mausoleum or Pot
ters field, with radiant or aromatic
arborescence. The Bible says "In the
midst OF the garden there was a sep
ulchre." l wish that every sepulchre
might be in the midst OF garden.
If you ask me the question, what are
flowers good for? l answer, for relig-
icus symbolism. Have you ever stud
led Scrlptural fora? The Bible is an
arboretum, it is a divine conservatory,
II is an herbarium Of exquisite beauty
II you want to illustrate the brevity
OF the brightest human life, you will
quote from Job: Man cometh forth
az q flower and Is cut down" Or you
will quote from the Psalmist: "As the
Gower of the field so he perisheth; the
wind passeth over it. and 1t is gone.
Or you will quote from Isaiah: "All
flesh is grass, and the goodness there
OF is as the flower of the field" Or
YOU will quote from James the Apos-
tie: "As the flower OF the grass, so he
uasseth away" What graphic Bible
symbolism!
All the cut flowers will soon be dead
whatever care you take OF them
Though morning and night you hap
tie them in the name of the shower
the baptism will not be to them a saw
ing ordinance. They have been fatally
wounded with the knife that cut them
They are bleeding their life away;
they are dying now. The fragrance IL
the air is their departing and ascend
ing spirits. oh, yes! Flowers are al
most human. Botanists tell us tina
flowers breathe, they take nourish
ment. they eat. they drink. They ar,
sensitive. They have their likes ant
dislikes. They sleep, they wake. The!
live in families. They have their an
cestors and their descendants. thei
birth. their burial, their cradle, thei