_by Frank L. Norris_.
_Illustration by M. Torre Hood._
Throughout this life a moral runs,
And ye who read may learn
That God has placed in every heart
A sacred fire, to burn
And flash so long as life may last—
A priceless treasure trove,
A garden fair, beyond compare,
Where blooms the flower called love.
A flower that’s warmed by passion’s flame,
And fed by pleasure’s dew,
Its curling petals reaching out
Like beckoning hands to you.
But pluck it! ere with perfume gone,
It hangs its drooping head,
Nor passion stay from day to day
Until that flower is dead.
[Illustration:
“_But pluck it! ere with perfume gone,