A Melbourne Rescue Home

There stood a house, square-built, of warm grey stone,
And over it the sky was stainless blue,
While in the dusty garden round it grew
Poor holly-hocks and olives, lanky-grown.
The spirit of the place I thought was shown
By the sad flowers and the grey dust too,
And when the open door I entered through
My soul was heavy and my heart made moan.
But when a mother-face there shone on me,
And when I saw a little sleeping child,
My bitterness fell from me suddenly;
And then a golden, glancing sunbean smiled
In at a window, and there seemed to be
Hope smiling with it, strong, serene and mild.

—M. L. N.