| Fuess and Stearns, comps. The Little Book of Society Verse. 1922. | | | | The White Flag | | By John Hay |
| | | I SENT my love two roses,—one | |
| As white as driven snow, | |
| And one a blushing royal red, | |
| A flaming Jacqueminot. | |
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| I meant to touch and test my fate; | 5 |
| That night I should divine, | |
| The moment I should see my love, | |
| If her true heart were mine. | |
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| For if she holds me dear, I said, | |
| She’ll wear my blushing rose; | 10 |
| If not, she’ll wear my cold Lamarque, | |
| As white as winter’s snows. | |
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| My heart sank when I met her: sure | |
| I had been overbold, | |
| For on her breast my pale rose lay | 15 |
| In virgin whiteness cold. | |
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| Yet with low words she greeted me, | |
| With smiles divinely tender; | |
| Upon her cheek the red rose dawned,— | |
| The white rose meant surrender. | 20 | | | |
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