“First I thought of what my Husband would like me to have, then with a suden thought I turned my steps home-would, and that night I went to a play, the next a nother, and so I went on till I had only 10s. left. Then how I wished my other Granmother was died, but it was no good. And when I had children I wished I had not been so rash as to spend it on abusments, but had saved it, but it was gone for ever and my other Granmother never died, to my grat misfortune.”
It was Mary’s father who wrote that exquisite thing to a Vicereine in India. “I wash your feet with my hair,” he said at the end of a letter, employing an Indian phrase of courtesy, adding, “It is true that I have very little hair, but then you have very little feet.”
Behold the punctual poem:—
There is a flower I wish to wear,
But not until first worn by you—
Heartsease—of all earth’s flowers most rare;
Bring it; and bring enough for two.
Good night,
R. H.