Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-04-01

out, and it Is full of life. and IL begins TO
tremble In the procession up the church
aisle and the dead music Of half century
ago comes throbbing through the air, and
vanished faces reappcar. and right hands
are joined. and manly voice promises,
81 will, for better or for worse, !" and the
wedding march thunders salyo Of joy at
the departing crowd. but sigh on that
anniversary day scattcrs the scene. Under
the deep fetched breath the altar, the
flowers. the congratulating groups are
scattered. and there Is nothing left but n
trembling hand holding "a faded rosebud
which Is put into the 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 prophecies
Of the flowers on your wedding day he
false prophecies BE blind To each Others
faults Make the most Of each Others cx-
cellenccs. 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 FORE | answer. they are good
b. honor and comfort the obscquies The
worst cash ever made into the side of our
poor earth is the cash of the grave. 1t Is
so deep. IL Is so cruel, IL Is so incurable,
that IL needs something TO cover IL up
Flowers for the caskct, flowers for the
hearsc, flowers for the cemetery What a
contrast between "a grave I'm a country
churchyard, with the fence broken down
and the tombstone aslant and the neigh
boring cattle browsing amid the mullen
stalks and the Canada thistles, and June
morning In Greenwood, the wave of rose
ate bloom rolling tn the topof the mounds
and then breaking into foaming crests of
white flowers all around the pillows of
dust. II is the difference between sleep
ing under rags and sleeping under an en-
broidcred blanket We want old Mortality
with his chiscl 10 go through all the grave
yards in Christcndom, and while he car
rics chisel In one hand we want old
Mortality TO have some flower seed in the
palm Of the other hand.
Mission of wild Flowers.
"Oh, you say, 1.-THE dead don't know
IL makes no difference 10 them" think
you are mistaken. There are not so many
steamers and trains coming to any living
city as there are conveys coming from
heaven "a earth, and II there be- instan-
taneous and constant communication be-
tween this world and the better world. do
you not suppose your departed friends
know what you do with their bodiesg Why
has God planted goldenrod and wild flow
ers In the forest and on the prairie. where
no human eve ever sees thcmy He planted
them there for invisible intelligences to
look at and admire. and when invisible
intelligences come 20 look at the wild
flowers of the woods and the table lands,
will they not make excursion and see the
flowers which you have planted in affec-
tion remembrance Of them!
When ann dead. would like to have q
handful of violcts-any one could plusk
them out Of the grass, or some one could
lift from the edge Of the pond water lily
nothing rarely expensive, no insane dis
play, as sometimes mt funeral rites, where
the display takes the bread from the chill
drens' mouths and the clothes from their
backs. but something from the great de-
mocracy of flowers. Rather than imperial
catafalquc of Russian car, l ask some one
whom may have helped by gospel sermon
or Christian deed. To bring a sprig of ar
butus or "a handful Of China asters.
II was left for modern times to spell re-
spcct for the departed and comfort for the
living in letters of floral gospel. Pillow
of flowers. meaning rest for the pilgrim
who has got to the end Of his journey
Anchor Of flowers. suggesting the Chris
tian hope which we have as an anchor of
the soul, sure and stcadfast. Cross of
flowers. suggesting the tree on which our
sins were slain. II had my way, would
cover up all the lreamlcss sleepcrs. wheth-
or in golden handled caskct or pine box.
whether kings mausolcum or pottcr's
field, with radiant or aromatic arborcs-
cence. The Bible says, lin the midst of
the garden there was scpulcher. I wish
that every sepulcher might he in the midst
of n garden