Fragrant Roses

T was my fortune, a few years ago,

IT.

to attend the reception of a newly-appointed pastor, given by a Church in a little city in Southern Nebraska. The gentleman who gave the address of welcome held in his hands a beautiful bouquet of exquisite red roses, so rich in fragrance the atmosphere of the whole house was laden with the wealth of perfume. The words of welcome were as full of fragrance as were the flowers. At the conclusion of the welcoming speech the roses were presented to the pastor, whose response, though couched in most classic phrase, and uttered in fine spirit, was at first a distinct surprise and shock to me.

He said, "It seems to me I have been sent to the best charge in the Conference." Now of course such a complimentary remark would be permissible, and might have passed unnoticed, but for the following: "It seems to me," said he, "I have always been sent to the best charges." That claim was clearly untrue. For I had known the

those strangers and declared he ha been sent to the best.

Of course, the wonder was talked so prevaricatingly, and would go about it to harmonize t parently untrue statements with ter's reputation for truth and Truly, I was puzzled, not knowing to think or what to do. Then I roses, and caught a fresh breath fragrance, and a revelation opene me. Those roses! They are alway sweetest and most fragrant atm Why? Because they take it alo them wherever they go, and br forth from their inner selves. It i of their nature. They create the phere in which they live. They it wherever they go. In the swamp they are in fine-flavored they bring it with them. In t room, where fever burns the toss

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tient, they are in the most fragrant atmosphere, for they bring with them an unending supply in the sweetness of their nature. Whether in the humble home of peasant, or the luxurious palace of pomp and pleasure, it is the same. No matter where, the rose breathes from its inner life that sweet breath which gives it an atmosphere of its own and makes it independent of surroundings and conditions.

So that minister was always in the finest charge. For, no difference where he went, he would take it along with him in the fragrance of his own inner life and the purity of his own character, and breathing forth from such a soul the atmosphere thus laden, his life was saturated with sweetness, and the purest and best were always his. In the quality, vision, and victory of his inner and higher self he was independent of conditions. He knew the meaning of the prayer of Socrates, and had obtained its answer: "Grant me to be beautiful within. Teach me that wisdom is a form of wealth that abides forever: making life orderly without; make me also just within. Forbid also that I should ever have any gold save that which a good man can possess."

FRAGRANT ROSES

This man's gold would not tarnish. The fragrance of his life would not die, for, like the rose, it came from a never-failing source within. Talk about good places! It is the man that makes the place, and not the place the man. Talk about success! That rose is a success that blossoms into beauty and sheds forth its fragrance, for, though it die unseen and unadmired, it is true to its own nature: it did what it was born to do. It lived its life according to the highest laws of its world. The man who thus lives may be well reckoned a success, even though he never comes to fame as the world counts fame. No, my friend, you may not run fast, but you can run in the right direction, and so running your feet will strike the upper trail and lead you to the heights.

The lily's lips are pure and white,
Without a touch of fire;

The rose's heart is warm and red and

Sweetened with desire.

In earth's broad field of deathless bloom

The gladdest lives are those

Whose thoughts are like the lily and whose
Love is like the rose.

From "Poems With Power to Strengthen the Soul," by Mudge, p. 264.

The Selfish Rose

A LARGE cluster of rose bushes grew

just beside the walk leading up to the

front porch. They were in full foliage, and luxuriant with bud and blossom the day I called. Being very fond of roses, I reached out to pluck one that looked very choice, but before doing so bent over with my face buried in the blossoms to drink deeply of their fragrance. Imagine my surprise on discovering they had no fragrance. I was disappointed, and left there where it grew the flower I had intended to take with me, and from which I had expected to extract some sweetness.

It was a rose of exquisite beautyperfect in form and coloring, and fine to look upon; but it held no perfume. It was great on appearances, but not much for fragrance. It allured only to disappoint. It caused you to reach for something you could not get. It failed to fulfill on the face of its promise. And does it set us wondering? Do we question the