there was a freshness in the air that made the children draw in deep
breaths.

Suzanna began very softly: "Maizie, do you see that big rose nodding
near the fence over there at Mrs. Reynolds'?"

Yes, Maizie saw the rose.

"Well, yesterday when you were wheeling the baby and I was sitting on
this very box putting buttons on Peter's waist, that rose all at once
walked across the road to me! It stood by my side for a long time, and
then it said softly, 'Suzanna,' and it looked at me and it was all pink
and very sweet, and it said to me, 'Suzanna, how old are you?' and I
said, 'I'm nearly eight, Lady Rose, and Maizie is nearly seven. Mother
had hardly got over my coming to her when Maizie came along.'

"And the rose said, 'Maizie? Is that the little girl that is going to
ask tomorrow whether Jesus ever smiled?' And I said, 'Yes, Maizie will
be peeling a big potato, and I'll be polishing the stove, and mother
will be kneading bread when Maizie will ask that question.'

"'Well,' said the rose, 'you must tell her that once upon a time Jesus
_did_ smile, but they didn't put it in the Bible because it didn't seem
'portant to grown folks, and they didn't think that all the little
children in the world would sometimes wish He had smiled.' And then the
rose went on to tell me the story of the dear smile."

Maizie gazed wide-eyed at her sister. "Did you really see the rose with
your eyes, Suzanna?"