250 THE JESSAMINE. 



hours of sleep had been permilled to refresli lier 

 wearied body. Yet slio desired to depart, and to 

 be with Christ, knowing it to be far belter than a 

 lengthened sojourn upon earth ; and since the Lord 

 had appointed that lingering and agonizino disease, 

 as her path to the grave, she was ronlent. To 

 say that, if left to her own choice, she would 

 not have prefc.rred a less torturing disease, would 

 be more than I should feel justified in asserting : but 

 I am sure thnt she believed that to be best for her 

 which the Lord had chosen ; and that she never 

 desired il to be otherwise tlian as He willed it. 



The Jessamine, at all times and in all places, is 

 lovely: but that on the antique wall, breathing 

 fragraiice on my evening promenade, was certain- 

 ly tho richest and the sweetest that I ever met 

 with. No flower can be more simply elefr.int in 

 form, more untainted in the purity of its perfect 

 whiteness, or more refreshingly odoriferous in its 

 delicate scent. There is, besides, somelhino in 

 its utter innbilily to sustsin itself, that farther illus- 

 trates the Christian character. The Jessamine 

 will aspire and grow to a considerableheighl, biUit 

 must be upheld throughout, or it sinks d(uvnward, 

 and defiles in the dust of the earth those bfaulies 

 which were formed to expand towards heaven. 

 Let but a single shoot break loose fron^ its sup- 

 port, and vou see it straggling far awav, with an 

 earthward tendency, the sport of every wind. Is 



