Thus the radiant angel answered,
And with tender meaning smiled: 
“Ere your childlike, loving spirit,
Sin and the hard world defiled,
God has given me leave to seek you,—­
I was once that little child!”

* * * * *

In the churchyard of that city
Rose a tomb of marble rare,
Decked, as soon as Spring awakened,
With her buds and blossoms fair,—­
And a humble grave beside it,—­
No one knew who rested there.

Adelaide A. Procter.

[Illustration:  Kaulbach.]

* * * * *

Enlarge the following brief summary of the Angel’s Story into a composition the length of which to be determined by your teacher.  Use many of the words and forms of expression you find in the poem.

THE ANGEL’S STORY

A poor little boy, to whom a child of wealth had in pity given a bunch of “reddest roses,” died with the fading flowers.  Afterwards he came as a “radiant angel” to visit his dying friend, and in a spirit of gratitude bore him to heaven.

* * * * *

80

al’ ti tude as tound’ ing ve loc’ i ty vag’ a bond mus tach’ es hes i ta’ ting ly par’ a lyzed tre men’ dous ex tra or’ di na ry

GLUCK’S VISITOR.

It was drawing toward winter, and very cold weather, when one day Gluck’s two older brothers had gone out, with their usual warning to little Gluck, who was left to mind the roast, that he was to let nobody in and give nothing out.  Gluck sat down quite close to the fire, for it was raining very hard.  He turned and turned, and the roast got nice and brown.

“What a pity,” thought Gluck, “that my brothers never ask anybody to dinner.  I’m sure, when they have such a nice piece of mutton as this, it would do their hearts good to have somebody to eat it with them.”  Just as he spoke there came a double knock at the house door, yet heavy and dull, as though the knocker had been tied up.  “It must be the wind,” said Gluck; “nobody else would venture to knock double knocks at our door.”

No; it wasn’t the wind.  There it came again very hard, and what was particularly astounding the knocker seemed to be in a hurry, and not to be in the least afraid of the consequences.  Gluck put his head out the window to see who it was.

It was the most extraordinary looking little gentleman he had ever seen in his life.  He had a very large nose, slightly brass-colored; his cheeks were very round and very red; his eyes twinkled merrily through long, silky eyelashes; his mustaches curled twice round like a corkscrew on each side of his mouth, and his hair, of a curious mixed pepper-and-salt color, descended far over his shoulders.  He was about four feet six in height, and wore a conical pointed cap of nearly the same altitude, decorated with a black feather some three feet long.  He wore an enormous black, glossy-looking cloak, which must have been very much too long in calm weather, as the wind carried it clear out from the wearer’s shoulders to about four times his own length.