Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-04-20

and the Canada thistle>. and q June morn.
ing in Greenwood, the wave OF roseato
bloom rolling to the top o.. the mounds
and then breaking into foaming cresss o.
white flowers all around the pillows OF
dust. II is the difference between sleeping
under rags and sleeping under AZ en-
troiiered blanket. We want old Mortality
with his chiscl to so through all the grave
wards in Christeudom. and while he carries
a chisel In one ham we want old Mortality
10 have some flower seed in the palm o,
tho other hand.
oh" you say. the dead don't know:
it makes NJ difference to them. think
you are mistaken. There are not SO many
steamer. and trains coming 10 any Twins
city. 90 there are conveys coming from
HEAVIER TO earth, and il there he instaE-
taneous aud constant communication be-
tween this world and the better world. do
you no: suppose your departed friends
know what you do with their bodies2
Why had God planted "Goldenrod' and
wild flowers in the forest and on the rrai-
rie. where no human eve ever sees them.
He planted them there for invisible intelli-
gences to look At and admire. and when In
visible inteiligences come 10 look a. the
lands. will they not make excursion and
see the flowers which you have planted IN
afYectionate remembrance o! them
When l am dead, l would like 10 have 3
handful OF violets-anv one could pluck
them ont OF the grass. or some one could
lift from the edge OF the pond"a water lily
nothing rarely expensive, no insane dis
play. as sometimes at funeral rites. where
tie display takes the bread from the chill
dren's mouths and the clothes from their
backs, but something from the great de
mocracy OF flowers. Rather than imreril
catafalque OF Russia Gear, I ask some one
whom l may have helped by gospel sermon
or Christian deed to bring a sprig OF ar
butus or q handful OF China asters.
1t was left for modern times TO spell re.
spect 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. An
chor of flowers. suggesting the Christian
hope which we have as an anchor OF the
soul, sure and steadfast. Cross OF flow
ers, suggesting the tree on which our sins
were slain. If had my way, | would GOV.
er up all the dreamless sleepers, whether
IN golden handled ca.ket or pine box.
whether a kings mausoleum or potter's
field, with radiant or aromatic arbores-
cence. The Bible saws, In the midst OF
the garden there was q sepufchre." I
wish that every sepulchre might be in the
midst Of the garden.
II You ask me the question, What are
flowers good for? answer, For religious
symbolism" Have you ever studied Scrip
tural fora? The Bible is an arbo return, it
is a divine conservatory. il ia a herbariunl
! Of exquisite beauty. II you want to illus
trate the hrevity Of the brightest human
life, you will quote from job. Man eometh
| forth as a flower and Is cut down." Or you
will quote from the psalmist, "Asthe flower
| Of the field. so he perishetb: the wind pas
seth over 1t and it Is gone" Or you will
quote from Isaiah, "Ali flesh is grass, and
the goodness thereof is as the flower OF
| fha Ral1 - Nv Won win nrJnfaf ron To n, al
the apostle, A the flower Of the grass. SO
be passeth away" What graphic Bible
symbolism,
Flowers also afford mighty symbolism Of
Christ who compared Himself o the ancient
queen, the lily, and the modern queen, the
rose, when He said: II am the rose of
Sharon and the lily OF the valley" Redo
lent like the one, humble like the other
Like both appropriate for the sad who want
sympathizers and for the rejoicing who
want banqueters. lowering over the mar
riage ceremony like a wedding bell, or
folded like a chaplet on the pulseless heart
ofthe dead. Oh. Christ, let the perfume
lily and rose, lily and rose-until the
wilderness crimson into a garden and the
round earth turn into one great bud Of i'm
mortal beauty laid against the warm heart
OF God. Snatch down from the worlds
banners eagle and lion and put on lily and
rose, lily and rose.
Dut, my friends. flowers have no srander
use that when on Easter morning we cele-
hrate the termination Of Christ from the
c~ataconhs. The flowers spell! resurrection
Their is not n nook or corner IN al the
building but is touched with the incense.
The women carried spices 10 the tomb ol
Christ, and they dropped spices all around
about the tomb, and from these spices
! have grown ali the flowers of Easter morn.
The two white robed angels that hurled the
stone away from the door Of the toni
hurled il with such violence down the hi
that it crashed In tie door q the world
sepuicher, and millions Ct dead shall com
forth.
However labvrinthine the mausoleum
however costly tie s~arcophagus, however
INTELLECTUALLY grand the metropolis, how
ever beautifully parterred the family
grounds, WI want them all broken up by
the Lord OF the resurrection. The forms
that VT Laid away with onr broken heart:
must rise again. Father aud mother
they must come cut. Husbands and wive'
they must come out. Brothers and sister:
they must come out. our darling ca!l
~dren-they must come ont. The eyes thai
with trembling fingers We closed mus
open in the lustre Of resurrection morn
The arms that we folded III death must joi,
ours in embrace Of reunion. The believes
voice that was hushed must be returned
LIZ tEIOfei - uiiIS to1io up "AAhpt
its i%nfirmities, without its fatigues-it mus
come up. On, how long It seems for som'
Of YOU, Waiting-waiting for the resur
~rectioni How long. How long. ] max
for your broken hearts to-day u cool. eof
bandage 0; lilies. | comfort you this ia,
with the thought OF resurrection.
When Lord Nelson was buried in ST
PauI's Cathedral In London, the heart o
all England was stirred. The Irocessio,
passed on amid the sohbing Of a nation
There were thirty tru Il peters stationed a
the door OF the cathedral with iDstru mentl
OF music il hand waiting Tor the signal
and when the iiiustrious dead arrived 4
!. the gates OF St. Pauls Cathedral thes.
thirty trumpeters gave one united blast
and then all was silent. Yet the trum pet
did not wake the dead. He .lep, right Oh
= But | have 10 tell you what thlrtvtrump pet
!, ers could not do for one man one trnn
. peter will DO for all nations. Tie age
have rolled on and the clock 81 the world
destiny strikes g. 10. II. IL. and tine -ha.
be No longer. Behold the archangel hover
. ing. He takes the trumpet, points II TIL
way. puts its lips 10 lis lips, and the
blows one long. loud, terrific. .lunierous
reyerbarat!nc and resarrectto1ary blast
look long They rI9at Tie dad y