Posted in The Inheritance by Christoph von Schmid

Clara or The Red and White Roses

This story opens up so sweetly. You can almost hear the lovely conversations between Clara and her mother. She was the joy of her mother. Her father too.  I love it that her mother realized at the tender age of four that Clara had a passion of flowers and saw an opportunity to keep her daughter's heart by planting a flower garden to share and enjoy.
I loved the childish delight when she showed her father what a rose looked like after it's bloomed, because he had surely not ever seen a red rose before. And how he played along. What beautiful simple Biblical truths her father and mother spoke to her as they spoke of the flowers and their colors and their texture, comparing the sweet smell of a rose to the sweetness of a girl who is of good behaviour and gives her parents pleasure. Also the opposite of the pain of the thorns in her little fingers to and obstinate and disobedient child.

"Taking pleasure in everything that was good, sweet-tempered, contented, and affectionate, she was, in a word, a living and lovely picture of innocence."

Then the story changed so very quickly to Clara at the age of ten, when her mother becomes ill. What did you think of  "she prepared herself, like a good Christian, for the great passage to eternity, and devoted her few remaining days to her beloved daughter..."?
It made me wonder at "preparing yourself" and the wording that it is "the Christian thing to do". To me, it seemed like she was still doing what she had always done. As she was on her deathbed, her last words are an admonishment to her beloved daughter. Teaching her still, telling her that many things in this world that appear fair and lovely are hollow and deceitful. Hollow and deceitful. Oh, to a child of ten, that must be so foreign. It cannot have the meaning that we as adults would understand to Clara. But her mother knows that she must say it. 
The only answer her mother gives her for the remorse and affliction of the world is to "Cling, therefore, close to God, walk always as if in His presence, and let your daily prayer be that He may keep you under His holy protection."  If only I could get this. Ouch! How convicting are these words to my heart. Life for her little girl when her own life is ebbing away. She gives her other life-giving verses: Blessed are the pure in heart; What doth it profit a man to gain the whole world, if he loses his own soul?; Honor your father.

It was surprising to me that Clara had not seen a white rose bush.It was also surprising that she didn't relate purity and heaven and a million other things to the color white. Can you believe the horror she felt when she related their white hue to the pallid last picture she had of her mother in death? What did you think about the fact that her father knew it would surprise her, but he already had planned on making it a lesson for her? I mean, he spoke to her of her own death that could happen sooner than she expected. He told her to remember the pallidness of her mother's skin when he saw the rose.
So Clara was homeschooled by her mother, and now she is without an instructor, because her father could not be home. It was strange to me that she would stay with her aunt so far away for a whole two years. I suppose this thing happened frequently in that time. For me, another departure from a parent was a bit heart-breaking. I also could not bear to send one of my children away for any amount of time, let alone for two years.
I know her Aunt was a good influence on her, but it was puzzling why she was trying to get Clara to admit that she preferred the city to the country. Clara must have been honest and gentle in her responses, because they persuaded her Aunt to request her sing the entire song. Her Aunt realized that the choice of the country over the city was something deep in Clara's heart, not just a preference. It was rooted in sweet and precious memories of her times with her parents.

When I read that things are looking up for Clara,  and she will be going back to her father after a long two years, I thought yay! how wonderful! But noooooooo! Her father died! Could you believe that? And her Aunt, in consolation, offers to adopt her and give her all she has, and all Clara is concerned about is being with her parents again, not of the things of the world that she does not have as an orphan. Poor sweet little girl. Now what will happen to her?

When she first went with her Aunt, I wondered what might happen to her away from home, in a big city. But, at least then, she had the hope of going back to her father. Now, I wonder what will happen.

Blessings~
Jacque
Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths Homeschool


First, what a lovely name for such a sweet baby! I love the name Clara. It is just such a beautiful name that you can only guess that if you name a child that, that she will indeed be so very sweet!
  Clara really is a darling girl! Her childish ways just show the love she has for her parents and her flowers.
 I really loved how she explained to Clara about the world in something she understood. Clara understood beauty, and her mother understood her. Priceless!
 I wonder why the rose tree would have brought grief to her father. You would think that it would be something lovely that would remind him of the loveliness of her.
 Like Mom said, I wonder too why she didn't know about white roses.
 Poor Clara seeing her pallid mother in a rose!
 I love the explanation that Clara's father gives her about the white roses. That is so touching. I love the father-daughter relationship betweenh them. Girls really need that.
 It is strange to me that the Aunt is a business woman. I don't think that was the normal back then.
 It seems that Clara's Aunt is way too worried about her belongings and beautiful material things. She doesn't see the simplicity of life and all the lovely things to enjoy. She doesn't have an appreciation for it. How different she is from her forester brother!
 You can tell her Aunt truly loves her and wants what is best for her, but she still doesn't understand Clara, I think.
 Poor Clara! Just when she was so excited and ready to go home and be with her beloved father, he is snatched up from her grasp!
 Her Aunt is so very kind, but nothing can replace a parent lost forever. Not even a beloved Aunt.
 In such a short life, Clara has faced many things. I do wonder what will happen, but reading this story, the verse "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."  Psalm 30:5 comes to my mind. I do think that joy will come back to Clara.

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