74 THE HAWTHORN". 



wure crossed, my fairest anticipations blighted, and 

 my attempts at usefulness repelled by unforseen, 

 insurmountable obstacles. But if ever those words 

 sank with abiding power into my heart, it was 

 when I went to gather a solitary blossom of May, 

 and hid in the folds of my sable weeds, while im- 

 agination travelled to the distant spot where the 

 wind was scattering such tiny petals over a grave, 

 which man's thoughts would call most untimely : 

 — a grave dug where the grass had scarcely re- 

 covered from the pressure of his firm, yet buoyant 

 step : — a grave, into which he went down, without 

 a moment's warning : yes, as a flower of the field, 

 so he flourished. In the morning he was as bright, 

 as beautiful, as joyous, as any creature basking in 

 the light of that summer day, — in the evening he 

 was cut down and withered. He around whom the 

 deadliest weapons of war had often flashed in vain, 

 who had seen a thousand fall beside him, while not 

 a hair of his head was touched — who had encoun- 

 tered storm and shipwreck, pestilence and famine, 

 and almost every description of peril, with perfect 

 immunity from all that overwhelmed others, — he 

 was reserved to die in the ujidst of life, and health, 

 and peace, and sunshine, and prosperity. 



" As the heavens are higher than the earth, so 

 are my ways higher than your ways, and my 

 thoughts than your thoughts." It is the Christian's 

 privilege no less than his duty, to walk by faith and 



