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<v Speaker 1>The angel. Whenever a good child dies, an angel of

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<v Speaker 1>God comes down from heaven, takes the dead child in

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<v Speaker 1>his arms, spreads out his great white wings, and flies

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<v Speaker 1>with him over all the places which the child had

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<v Speaker 1>loved during his life. Then he gathers a large handful

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<v Speaker 1>of flowers, which he carries up to the Almighty, that

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<v Speaker 1>they may bloom more brightly in heaven than they do

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<v Speaker 1>on earth. And the Almighty presses the flowers to his heart.

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<v Speaker 1>But he kisses the flower that pleases him best, and

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<v Speaker 1>it receives a voice and is able to join the

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<v Speaker 1>song of the chorus of bliss. These words were spoken

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<v Speaker 1>by an angel of God as he carried a dead

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<v Speaker 1>child up to heaven, and the child listened as if

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<v Speaker 1>in a dream. Then they passed over well known spots

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<v Speaker 1>where the little one had often played, and through beautiful

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<v Speaker 1>gardens full of lovely flowers. Which of these shall we

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<v Speaker 1>take with us to Heaven to be transplanted there, asked

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<v Speaker 1>the angel. Close by grew a slender, beautiful rose bush,

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<v Speaker 1>But some wicked hand had broken the stem, and the

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<v Speaker 1>half opened rose buds hung, faded and withered on the

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<v Speaker 1>trailing branches. Poor rose bush, said the child, let us

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<v Speaker 1>take it with us to Heaven, that it may bloom

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<v Speaker 1>above in God's garden. The angel took up the rose bush.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he kissed the child, and the little one half

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<v Speaker 1>opened his eyes. The angel gathered also some beautiful flowers,

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<v Speaker 1>as well as a few humble buttercups and hearts. Ease,

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<v Speaker 1>now we have flowers enough, said the child, But the

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<v Speaker 1>angel only nodded. He did not fly upward to Heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>It was night and quite still in the great town.

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<v Speaker 1>Here they remained, and the angel hovered over a small,

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<v Speaker 1>narrow street, in which lay a large heap of straw,

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<v Speaker 1>ashes and sweepings from the houses of people who had removed.

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<v Speaker 1>There lay fragments of plates, pieces of plaster, rags, old hats,

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<v Speaker 1>and other rubbish not pleasant to see. Amidst all this confusion,

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<v Speaker 1>the angel pointed to the pieces of a broken flower

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<v Speaker 1>pot into a lump of earth which had fallen out

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<v Speaker 1>of it. The earth had been kept from falling to

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<v Speaker 1>pieces by the roots of a withered field flower, which

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<v Speaker 1>had been thrown amongst the rubbish. We will take this

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<v Speaker 1>with us, said the angel. I will tell you why

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<v Speaker 1>as we fly along. And as they flew, the angel

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<v Speaker 1>related the history. Down in that narrow lane, in a

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<v Speaker 1>low cellar lived a poor sick boy. He had been

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<v Speaker 1>afflicted from his childhood, and even in his best days,

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<v Speaker 1>he could just manage to walk up and down the

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<v Speaker 1>room on crutches once or twice, but no more. During

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<v Speaker 1>Sundays in summer, the sunbeams would lie on the floor

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<v Speaker 1>of the cellar for about half an hour. In this spot,

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<v Speaker 1>the poor sick boy would sit, warming himself in the

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<v Speaker 1>sunshine and watching the red blood through his delicate fingers

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<v Speaker 1>as he held them before his face. Then he would

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<v Speaker 1>say he had been out. Yet he knew nothing of

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<v Speaker 1>the green forest in its spring verdure, till a neighbor's

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<v Speaker 1>sun brought him a green bough from a beech tree.

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<v Speaker 1>This he would place over his head and fancy that

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<v Speaker 1>he was in the beech wood while the sun shone

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<v Speaker 1>and the birds caroled gaily. One spring day, the neighbor's

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<v Speaker 1>boy brought him some field flowers, and among them was

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<v Speaker 1>one to which the root still adhered. This he carefully

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<v Speaker 1>planted in a flower pot and placed in a window

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<v Speaker 1>seat near his bed. And the flower had been planted

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<v Speaker 1>by a fortunate hand, for it grew put forth fresh

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<v Speaker 1>shoots and blossomed every year. It became a splendid flower

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<v Speaker 1>garden to the sick boy, and a little treasure upon earth.

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<v Speaker 1>He watered it and cherished it, and took care it

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<v Speaker 1>should have the benefit of every sunbeam that found its

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<v Speaker 1>way into the cellar, from the earliest morning ray to

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<v Speaker 1>the evening sunset. The flower entwined itself even in his

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<v Speaker 1>dreams for him. It bloomed for him, spread its perfume,

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<v Speaker 1>and it gladdened his eyes. And to the flower he

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<v Speaker 1>turned even in death when the Lord called him. He

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<v Speaker 1>has been one year with God. During that time the

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<v Speaker 1>flower has stood in the window, withered and forgotten, till

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<v Speaker 1>at length cast out among the sweepings into the street

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<v Speaker 1>on the day of the lodger's removal. And this poor

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<v Speaker 1>flower withered and faded as it is, we have added

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<v Speaker 1>to our nosegay, because it gave more real joy than

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<v Speaker 1>the most beautiful flower in the garden of a queen.

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<v Speaker 1>But how do you know all this? Asked the child

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<v Speaker 1>whom the angel was carrying to heaven. I know, it,

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<v Speaker 1>said the angel, because I myself was the poor sick

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<v Speaker 1>boy who walked upon crutches. And I know my own flower. Well.

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<v Speaker 1>Then the child opened his eyes and looked into the glorious,

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<v Speaker 1>happy face of the Angel. And at the same moment

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<v Speaker 1>they found themselves in that heavenly home where all is

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<v Speaker 1>happiness and joy. And God pressed the dead child to

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<v Speaker 1>his heart, and wings were given him so that he

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<v Speaker 1>could fly with the Angel hand in hand. Then the

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<v Speaker 1>Almighty pressed all the flowers to his heart, but he

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<v Speaker 1>kissed the withered field flower, and it received a voice.

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<v Speaker 1>Then it joined in the song of the angels who

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<v Speaker 1>surrounded the throne, some near and others in a distant circle,

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<v Speaker 1>but all equally happy. They all joined in the chorus

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<v Speaker 1>of praise, both great and small, the good, happy child

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<v Speaker 1>and the poor field flower that once lay withered and

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<v Speaker 1>cast away on a heap of rubbish in a narrow,

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<v Speaker 1>dark street, And of the Angel