A FLORIST in the North of L, received an order for a bridal bouquet which was to be made of rare exotics of the most costly kind.
His daughter was arranging them with exquisite taste, when, looking up at her father, she said, "The bride ought to be lovely to carry such flowers. Do you know her?"
"No, my dear," was the reply; "but I hear that she is very young and very pretty, and the gentleman is very rich."
No sooner had he said the words than a note was handed to him by a boy, and as he read the contents, his hand shook, and he turned pale as he gazed in a kind of stupor at his daughter.
"Oh, Florrie," he said at last, "what a dreadful thing! The young lady is dead — dead, and we are to make the bouquet into a wreath."
"How awful!" said the girl, as the tears gathered in her eyes. "I was just thinking how happy she would be today. Poor young lady, I wonder what she died of. I suppose the note doesn't say?"
"It only says she died suddenly. Dear me, we won't often hear of such a sad thing as that. Well, you must undo your work and weave a wreath; I really do feel sorry."
And so the wreath was made, and, with many others, was put on the coffin containing the lifeless form of the lovely girl who a few days before was full of the joy and gladness of anticipation.
A touching story — yes, indeed it is, and perhaps some readers would like to know if she was ready.
This we cannot tell. but we write with the desire to give another warning word to the young and thoughtless.
"Be ye also ready."
Messages of God’s Love 10/13/1901