Fresh leaves and green pastures . loom and despair. In October 1873 I went to London, and hadthe good fortune to meet my dearly loved god-father, Mr. E. M. Ward, the Academician, and hesomewhat raised my drooping spirits. Mr. Wardwas without exception the dearest and kindestof men, although he once deeply hurt me bytelling me that as I was born in October theonly flowers I could have for my birthday wreathand crown were dahlias, and that in consequenceearwigs would walk all over my cake. All thesame he gave me my first wax doll. Alas! hercareer was a short one; my sister sat down onher waxen c
Fresh leaves and green pastures . loom and despair. In October 1873 I went to London, and hadthe good fortune to meet my dearly loved god-father, Mr. E. M. Ward, the Academician, and hesomewhat raised my drooping spirits. Mr. Wardwas without exception the dearest and kindestof men, although he once deeply hurt me bytelling me that as I was born in October theonly flowers I could have for my birthday wreathand crown were dahlias, and that in consequenceearwigs would walk all over my cake. All thesame he gave me my first wax doll. Alas! hercareer was a short one; my sister sat down onher waxen countenance and reduced her to pieces,a crime I have never forgotten, though it happenedmuch more than fifty years ago. And once more my godfather came to my aid ;cheered me up much about Lydia, and sentme the sketch for her dress reproduced here,which speaks for itself. Unfortunately I wasnot able to wear it; my father-in-law died;the theatricals came off without me; and we put246 /«-«, 0^*<»*<,-»*-^^ (55^^ «-^-» y^^^. ~^^V^uP^ltA^ ^ i/*^ *^ ^*0 LYDIA LANGUISH. FINDING THE GENERAL the first flowers ever seen at a local funeral onhis coflBn, emblems in moss and violets to betokenthat he was a freemason, and a cross to showthe faith he had held strenuously through asomewhat extraordinary career. But he wasof an age that took its rehgion on a Sundayonly, when he made himself and others veryuncomfortable for the day; and quite forgot theobligations of his special form during the week,as was the custom in those long since dead daysof ones youth. The visit to the Wards should have a few morewords, I think, for they were then living atWindsor, and we had revisited all our old hauntsof 1863 and 1864, when we lived there for somemonths when my father was painting the marriageof the then Prince of Wales— Uncle Waleswedding, as that enfant terrible the GermanEmperor called the picture. But all was thesame in the Castle; the same hideous carpets,and green and crimson damask-h
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