The Sacred Flora; Or, Flowers from the Grave of a Child (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1845. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHANGE WITH IDENTITY. " How shall I know thee ? " Thou shall keep The beauty that I worshipped here; Within the tomb all ill shall sleep, But love and truth shall reappear. Some persons were once discussing the possibility of making a likeness of a person very beautiful indeed, far beyond the reality, and yet retaining the resemblance essential to its being recognized and identified. The skill of genius answered the doubt by accomplishing the task, and presenting beauty most perfect, while there was something that spake at once the original. A pleasant thought came to my mind from this fact, that the art of heaven in glorifying the departed is like this labor of genius. To the beloved of our hearts may be given the radiant beauty of angels, while yet their identity or individuality, in the expression of the face, shall be retained. The mother who says, " I do not wish my child to be changed into the beauty of angels, for I might not know an angel," has here an answer to her fear. The change shall not take the seal away which ever spake to the maternal heart; and that mysterious something which solves all doubts in respect to the individuality of the loved one, will still be there. We see this sometimes when the unskilful artist has labored to obtain a correct portrait. He has drawn the outline incorrectly, and the features are not those of our friend, yet something is there which speaks of that friend; while another may draw the outline with accuracy and the features may seem faultless as a copy, yet the whole has no expression--it is not our friend--there is nothing before the eye that speaks to the heart which longs to recognize a correct likeness. Subtle speculations may be offered to tell us why these things are so, but they will not satisfy us. We ...