GLORY-ROSES.

“Only a penny, Sir!”

A child held to my view

A bunch of “glory-roses,” red

As blood, and wet with dew.

( O earnest little face,

With living light in eye,

Your roses are too fair for earth,

And you seem of the sky! )

“My beauties, Sir!” he said,

“Only a penny, too!”

His face shone in their ruddy glow

A Rafael cherub true.

“Yestreen their hoods were close

About their faces tight,

But ere the sun was up, I saw

That God had come last night.

“O Sir, to see them then!

The bush was all aflame!—

O yes, they're glory-roses, Sir,

That is their holy name.

“Only a penny, Sir!” —

Heaven seemed across the way!

I took the red, red beauties home —

Roses to me for aye!

For aye, that radiant voice

As if from heaven it came —

“O yes, they're glory-roses, Sir,

That is their holy name!”