Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-07

eO SOUL VINO ndu ChItAuil tJt-ri bu-
reau and in the bureau a box and in
the box a folded paper and in the folded
paper a half blown rose, slightly fra
grant, discolored, carefully pressed. She
put it there 40 or 30 years ago. On the
anniversary day of her wedding she
will 90 to the bureau, she will lift the
box, she will unfold the paper and to
her eyes will be exposed the half blown
bud. and the memories Of the past will
rush upon her and tear will drop upon
the flower and suddenly it is transfig-
ured, and there is stir in the dust Of
the anther and it rounds ont and il is
full of life and it begins 70 tremble in
the procession up 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 manly voice promises.
Il will, for better CT for worse, and
the wedding march thunders a salvo Of
| JOY at the departing crowd, but sigh
on that anniversary day scatters the
scene. Under the deep fetched breath
the altar, the flowers, the congratulate
ing groups are scattered, and there Is
nothing left but a trembling hand hold
ing 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.
A Handful of blossoms.
All. my friends, let not the prophecies
OF the flowers on your wedding day
be false prophecies Be blind to each
Others faults. Make the most Of each
cther's excellences Remember the
vows. the ring on the third finger Of
the left hand and the benediction Of
the Gala lilies.
If you ask me the question. What
are flowers good for? l answer, they
are good to honor and comfort the obse-
quies The worst cash ever made into
the side Of our poor earth is the cash
of the grave. 1t is 50 deep, it is 50 cruel.
it is so incurable. that il needs some
thing to cover it up. Flowers for the
casket, flowers for the hearse. flowers
for the cemetery. What contrast be-
tween a grave in a country churchyard,
with the fence broken down and the
tombstone aslant and the neighhorine
cattle browsing amid the mullen
stalks and Sle Canada thistles, and a
June morning in Greenwood. the wave
If roseate bloom rolling 10 the top of the
mounds and then breaking into foam
ing crests of white flowers all around
the billows Of dust II is the difference
between sleeping under rar- and sleep
ing under an embroidered blanket. We
want old Mortality with his chisel 10
20 through all the grayevards in Chris
tendon and while he carries chisel
in one hand we want old Mortality to
have some flower seed in the palm of
the other hand.
"Oh. You say. ''the dead don t
know; it makes no difference to them.
| think Won are mistaken. There are
not so many steamers and trains coming
to any living city as there are conveys
coming from heaven to earth, and If
there be instantaneous and constant
communication between this world and
the better world, do you not suppose your
departed friends know what you do
with their bodiesl Why has God plant
ed "goldenrod" and wild flowers in
the forest and on the prairie, where no
human eye ever sees themf He planted
them there for invisible intelligences to
look at and admire, and when invisible
intelligences come TO 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 affectionate remembrance Of themr
When / am dead, | would like 70
have a handful Of violets-any 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 display. as some
times at funeral rites, where the dis
play takes the bread from the children
mouths and the clothes from their
backs, but something from the great
democracy of flowers. Rather than i'm
perial catafalque Of Russian car, l ask
some one whom l may have helped by
gospel sermon or Christian deed to
bring a sprig of arbutus or handful OF
China asters.
The Floral Gospel.
Il ,ros left for rno1ern times TO spell
respect 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
tourney. Anchor of flowers, suggesting
the Christian hope which we have as
an anchor of the soul. sure and stead
fast. Cross Of flowers, suggesting the
tree on which our sins were slain. If
had my way, 1 would cover up all the
dreamless sleepers, whether in golden
bondled casl,et or nine box whether n