A Child's Thought of Burial.
In the South Sea Islands, the child of one of the missionaries died. Its little brothers and sisters saw it buried, and wept bitterly when it was hid from their sight in the dark grave. Not long after, one more of their number sickened and died, and as the friends were about to take it away to the grave, one of the youngest, more used to the language of the islanders than to the English, cried out, "O, don't plant it—don't plant it!" She had seen them planting seeds, and she had seen her little brother covered up in the earth; and it was natural for her to speak of burying as planting, though she did not know how much beauty and force there were in the expression. It is the very language of inspiration. The resurrection of the dead is not even revealed or illustrated by any sweeter or more appropriate figure than the springing from the earth of the seed that was buried. "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." As the sower goeth forth and scatters the precious seed, he is cheered with the hope that it will soon spring up in beauty, and reward him abundantly for his toil. So the parent who commits to the dust the precious form that he has loved, is cheered with the hope that it will spring up again in beauty, and shine in glory.—Sel.