Mabel Anne McKee

“ If you had kissed Rose to-night it would have been easy for you to kiss her again. You haven't yet, have you?"
He shook his head.
"I am so glad," she continued. "It will be so much better for her. If she permits you these familiarities she [34] will permit others the same ones. She may soon become as reckless as Dorothy, and then we dare not think of the future. You can see now what a wonderful flower she promises to make. She is a perfect little bud. Would you not hate to think that you were spoiling the promise of that bud?" ”

“ He spoke with pride. "I know Rose."
"We will look at it from her side. After she realizes those petals have been crushed by you she may be afraid of the future. She [40] may be afraid that you have wandered far into the garden and come back to her a worn-out traveller. She may be afraid that you will not appreciate her and that you will not deal rightly with her."
He laughed. "I am not afraid of that."
"Other girls just as constant in their friendship as Rose have felt that way," she said in a low voice. ”

“ You say you are a man; you have only thought of one side; you have only wanted the perfect rose. You may get one, but if you do it will be one which has been carefully guarded. You are not intending to [32] break or bruise the other roses; you are just going to handle them because the other boys do. You will enjoy their fragrance, but you will leave wounded petals. Then after a time, if you travel far enough into the garden, you will grow indifferent to the havoc you are doing and will carelessly crush the flowers. You may grow so cruel that you will enjoy it. ”

“ Many men will say that they are only to be satisfied, but we know better. The first kiss you give to a girl thrills you—really it is one of the greatest minutes of your life. The next girl you kiss seems less of a pleasure. ”

“ There was no one to guard me and I did just what any girl will do who does not think. But I realized in time to save myself from only a few brown ones, and I want to save every girl I can. We were young and thought we knew our hearts. My, how they changed! But they couldn't change those bruised petals."
He gave a hurt cry, but he saw a face free from suffering. It held only love for him. [42]
"Floyd, I want to give the world a noble man. That is the dearest wish of every woman. I want to give some woman a pure husband ”

“ Stronger desires than kissing arise and soon you are not the [36] man God intended you to be. You will have a low idea of women. Even your wife, if you get the sweetest and purest in the world, will not seem so to you. Marriage will not be a sacred fulfillment ”