The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-04-07

| 90 40. 80 wears of welded life before
| they have begun arranges Tor the pest
! So that flowers in almost all cases are
: appropriate for the marriage day. Inc
| diycrgenccs of disposition will become
correspondences, rccklessness VIII DC
come prudence, frivolity will be turheu
into practically.
There has been many an aged WIZ
owed soul who had n carefuily-lockeu
bureau, and in the bureau a bon. ana III
| the box a folded paper, ana IN the
folded paper a half-blown rose, slight
IL fragrant, discolored, carefully
pressed. She put il there 40 or o. years
AFRO. On the anniversary day oi her
wedding she will go to the bureau she
| will Iift the box, she will unfold the
paper. and 10 her eyes will be EXPOSED
| the balf-blown bud. and the memories
of the past will rush upon her, and
tear will drop upon the flower, and sud
denly il is transfigured, and there is a
stir in the dust of the anther, ana IL
| rounds out. and il is full of life. ana IL
| begins TO tremble in the procession up
/ ,b, church aisle. and the dead music OF
half century ago comes throbolng
through the air, and vanished faces re-
appear. and right hands are joined ana
, manly voice promises: II VIII, Tor
hotter OF for worse" and the wedding
march thunders a salHo of JOY at the
departinc crowd, but sigh on thht
anniversary day scatterS the scene. n
der the dcrp-fctched breath the altar,
IN, flowers. the congratulating groups
are scattered. and there is nothing left
but a trembling hand holding a faded
rosebud. which is put into the paper
and thea into the box, and the box care
fully placed in the bureau. and with
sharr. sudden click of the lock the scene
is over.
Nh. nv friends let not the prophecies
of the flowers on your wedding day he
false prophecies. BE blind TO each 9th
cr's faults. Make the most % each 9th
cr's c>ccllencies. Remember he vows,
the ring on the third finger of the left
hand. and the bcncdiction of the Gala
lilies.
IL YOU ask me the question: What
are flowers good for?' | answer. they
are good TO honor and comfort the OBJ
scuuies. The worst cash ever made into
the side of our poor earth is the cash
of the grave. IL is So deep. II is so
cruel, IL is so incurablc, that IL needs
To cover il up. Flowers for
the Caskct. flowers for the hCarsc,
flowers for the ,rmctcry. What con
trast between a grave i'm country
with the fence broken
down and the tombstone aslant and the
ncighboring cattle browsing amid the
mullen stalks ard the Canada thiStlcs,
and a June morning in Greenwood, the
wave of roseate bloom rolling TO the
top of the mounu, and then breaking
into foaming crcstS of white flowers all
around the pillows of dust. II is the
difference between sleeping under rags
and under an embroidered blanket. We
want old Mortality with his chiScl TO go
through all the graveyards ia Christen-
dom. 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.
oh" you say. "the dead don't know;
il makes no difference 10 them" |
think YOU are mistaken. There are not
50 many steamers and trains coming To
any living city as there are conveys
coming from Heaven TO earth, and If
there bc instantaneous and constant
communication between this world and
the better world. do You not suppose
los fpia hat
do with their bodies? Why has God
planted goldcn-rod and wild flowers in
the forest and on the prairie, where no
human eye ever sees them lie planted
them there for invisible intclligCnCes
| to loOl, at and admire, and when in
visible intelligcnces come To look at
| the wild flowers of the woods and the
table lands. will they not make eNcur-
| sion and see the flowers which you
have planted in affection and remcm.
| brancc of them?
| When am dead would like TO have
| n handful of violets anyone could
| pluck them out of the grass. or some
one could lift from the edge of the pond
water lily nothing rarely expensive,
no insane display, as sometimes at fu'
| neral rites, where the display takes the
bread from the children's mouths and
the clothes from their backs, but some
thing from the great democracy OF
flowers. Rather than imperial cata.
| falque of Russian ear, | ask SON" one
whom may have helped by a Gospc
sermon or Christian deed to bring q
| sprig of arbutus or a handful of China
| aSterS.
II was left for modern times TO spell
respect for the departed and comfort
for the living in letters of floral gos
pei. Pillow of flowers. meaning rest
for the pilgrim who has got Ia the enc
of his journey. Anchor of flowers. sug
gcstng the Christian hope which ",
must have as an anchor of the soul. SURE
and steadfast. Cross of flowers. sug
gesting the tree on which our sins wcr,
slain. II ] had my way, would covcI
up all the drcamlcss sleepers, whether
in goldenhandled casket or pine box
whether a kings mausoleum or pot
ter's field, with radiant or aromatic ar
borescencc. The Bible says: "In tn,
midst of the garden there was a sepul
cher" wish that every scpulchc
might he in the midst of garden.
you asked me the question; "Wha
are flowers good for" answer: 70