The gift of white roses . but even triedAn entrance anywhere, they would have belchedMe forth in holy horror.—So I walked,Or loitered rather, every door in allThe city barred again my frightful form,No one in all the crowds to whom I daredBut speak. I know not how it came, I chancedTo loiter past a Mission, when I caughtA strain of music, an old song Id sungWhen but a child upon my mothers know not how I came to see againThe old home and be in my happy teens;But ere I knew, I stood within the then the music ceased, and I againWas what you see. Before I could retreat,A mission l

---

The gift of white roses . but even triedAn entrance anywhere, they would have belchedMe forth in holy horror.—So I walked,Or loitered rather, every door in allThe city barred again my frightful form,No one in all the crowds to whom I daredBut speak. I know not how it came, I chancedTo loiter past a Mission, when I caughtA strain of music, an old song Id sungWhen but a child upon my mothers know not how I came to see againThe old home and be in my happy teens;But ere I knew, I stood within the then the music ceased, and I againWas what you see. Before I could retreat,A mission lady held me by the armAnd had my story, asked about my home,Then told me oer the Bible story, mother,You retold a little while begged me let her send me home; and soMy story ends, thus blotted, marred and dying now; yet theres an awful debt,And ours is not the only one. There areVast thousands thus ensnared. I see, alas!A wail arise, so black it hides the every village, maidens lily-pure[71].

---

Size: 3069px × 814px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidgiftofwhiteroses00bowm