-^ uLORY Ox- THE GARDEN 

 14" ^ 



T , ?A stmgs, which she placed upon the stems 



r ^ X- (Sffending rose. 



Zoroaster, apostle of the Persians, states that the 

 rose was thornless until the entrance into the world 

 of Ahriman, the spirit of evil, from which belief 

 springs the legend that when Satan fell from heaven 

 the idea occurred to him to make the thorns of the 

 briar rose serve as a ladder to reascend to the 

 celestial heights. But God would not permit the 

 briar to continue its upward growth; He told it to 

 grow breadthways, and because the rose obeyed the 

 Divine command, Satan was exceedingly angry, and 

 lowered the points of the thorns towards the earth, 

 so that ever since then the thorns of the briar point 

 downwards. 



The Legend of the Moss Rose. 



Tradition tells us that one of the angels, whose 

 work it was to minister to the needs of erring earth 

 inhabitants, was one evening just about to return to 

 heaven, but so stormy and overcast was the sky, 

 that he returned to seek shelter at one of those 

 houses which he had blessed with his silent minis- 

 trations. 



But everywhere the door was closed, and at last, 

 tired out and feeling rather sore at heart, the angel 

 passes wearily down the village street, and a young 

 red rose sweetly opens to him her fragrant petals. 



And there in her heart the angel sleeps, warmly 

 sheltered from the storm; and when he wakes and 

 sees how altogether lovely is this flower, and that 

 he can in no wise enhance her beauty of shape or 

 colouring, he throws over her a delicate green veil, 



