Pleasant Talk About Fruits, Flowers and Farming

by Henry Ward Beecher

A flower do but place near thy window glass,

And through it no image of evil shall pass.

Abroad must thou go? on thy white bosom wear

A nosegay, and doubt not an angel is there;

Forget not to water at break of the day

The lilies, and thou shalt be fairer than they;

Place a rose near thy bed nightly sentry to keep,

And angels shall rock thee on roses to sleep.

And pray what will happen if a gentleman does all this? For one, we have a personal curiosity to know; for we do

all these things and a good many more. If any other angels have hovered about us than angelic flowers, we make an especial request to them not, hereafter, to be so shy about it. Our natural eye would delight to behold in veritable substance all the flower-spirits which our ideality spies lurking in our garden-blossoms.