Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-31

dead. It shone with particular bright
ness on one marked by a slender gran
lite shaft.
Agnes entered the cemetery and walked
rapidly down the avenue that lay nearest
this mound. Leaning her head YEARLY
against its monument, she remained mo-
tionless, with closed eyes and drawn
brows. What though the south wind
caressed SO lightly the silent home OF
the sleepers? 1t would pass on to riot
among cenes of gaiety. The sunshine,
too, would soon desert them for some
less lonely spot. Darkness would come
as the darkness that had settled over her
life. How could there be light hearts
and songs and gladness in this sad, sad
world? Life was so pitifully brief, and
death. They had tried to tell her that
she would meet her dearest again, but
did they know? No, no, they could not.
And she was young yet. How could she
endure the long life that stretched be-
fore her, the years that must pass be-
fore she could interpret the mystery of
death?. Oh, if she might only receive
some message, some least token that
| Arthur still lived!
She shifted her eyes for a moment
to the blue sky and then brought them
YEARLY back to earth. Close by the
monument a little pale flower, one Of
springs first hepaticas, had pushed its
frail petals above the ground and was
lifting its tiny head to the sunlight.
Agnes bent over it and tenderly drew
away the dead grass. How came 1t
there? By human hand? No, it had
risen from the dead. Risen from the
dead" she repeated softly to herself,
Yes, it had died with the summer, but
only to await earth's resurrection day
when from the germ of its old dead
self sprang this wondrous new life
this pure and beautiful thing. She
touched tenderly its petals with
strange feeling of awe. 1t seemed tc
breathe out a message of hope ant
trust, a token of Gods own love. II
told her of the new life that begins with
the decay of the old, of immortality
beyond death, of an eternity wher
time shall end. 1t whispered of 6
faith that is stronger than sight, ant
of a God of love.
Long Agner knelt over the little
blossom that spoke comfort to her soul
until she had come TO learn that life /!
not death, but death is life; that low,
lives beyond the grave, for it is eternal
Her heart was softened at last. The1
came tears like rain-the first that hat
wet her lashes since that terrible day
When, after a long time, the passion o
her sobs had worn away, she rose ant
left the cemetery, taking with her tn,
little flower that had brought her a mes
sage from him who, though the doorwa.
of death, had passed into life.
The morning service in First churcl
was not yet concluded when a little fig
ure clad in black entered softly ant
stole into the first vacant pew. TIL,
beautiful Easter lilies at the altar hat
a message for at least one soul in tn,
congregation that morning. From tn
pulpit came the closing words of tn
sermon: Because l live, We shall liv,
also" They are the words of the Sol
of God himself, who hath tasted dealt
for every man. In the face of this Di
vine attestation to the Immortality o
the soul, we canont but cry: ooh, Death
where is thy sting? 0 Grave, where i
thy victory?"
Upon the hush that followed the min
listers words came the strains of tn
great organ, which swelled and throbbe
with it's glad message. The congregatio
arose and sang, Christ, the Lord, is rise
to-day"
With the last stanza, a voice of won
derful power and pathos rose abov
the others, and the people turned t
see a fair, sweet face. upon which shon
the light of a faith triumphant, as AS
mes Norwood sang the words, as sh
had never sung before:
made like Him, like Him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies."-
The Housekeeper.