O, white innocence,
That thou shouldst wear the mask of guilt to hide
Thine awful and serenest read more

O, white innocence,
That thou shouldst wear the mask of guilt to hide
Thine awful and serenest countenance
From those who know thee not!

Hence, bashful cunning,
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!

Hence, bashful cunning,
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!

What can innocence hope for,
When such as sit her judges are corrupted!

What can innocence hope for,
When such as sit her judges are corrupted!

Know you what it is to be a child? It is to be something very different from the man of read more

Know you what it is to be a child? It is to be something very different from the man of to-day. It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of baptism; it is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to believe in belief; it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear; it is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice into horses, lowness into loftiness, and nothing into everything, for each child has its fairy godmother in its own soul.

There is no aphrodisiac like innocence.

There is no aphrodisiac like innocence.

A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for read more

A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for innocence on earth, a link between angels and men

All things truly wicked start from innocence.

All things truly wicked start from innocence.

We become innocent when we are unfortunate.
[Fr., On devient innocent quand on est malheureux.]

We become innocent when we are unfortunate.
[Fr., On devient innocent quand on est malheureux.]

Innocent as a dove you will harm no one, but wise as a serpent no one will harm you.

Innocent as a dove you will harm no one, but wise as a serpent no one will harm you.