For 1, I sent him a sketch! said the lady must wear a bonnet in church, and her boys must take off their hats! That she must kneel forwards, be dressed in a deep sealskin with heavy fox edge, and have her eyes down, and the children must kneel imitating her, and I should like an old brass on the wall above them with one of those queer old kneeling families in ruffs.
For 2, I said I could not introduce child readers to the cells, and I begged for an old Chelsea Pensioner showing his good conduct medal to a little boy.
3. I suggested the tomb of a Knight Crusader, above which should fall a torn banner with the words, "In Coelo Quies."
Now if he had kicked at having three pictures to do utterly over again, one could hardly have wondered, pressed as he is. But, back they came! "I am indeed much indebted to you," the worst he had to say! The lady in No. 1 now is a lady; and as to the other two, they will be two of the best pages of the book. Old Pensioner first-rate, and Crusader under torn banner just leaving "Coelo Quies," a tomb behind "of S. Ambrose of Milan" with a little dog—and a snowy-moustached old General, with bending shoulders and holding a little girl by the hand, paying devoir at the Departed Warrior's tomb in a ray of rosy sunlight!!
This is the sort of way we are fighting through the Ewing-André books.
Ecclesfield. January 10, 1883.
Fancy me "learning a part" again! That has a sort of sound like old times, hasn't it?
I feel half as if I were a fool, and half as if it would be very good fun! R.A. theatricals at Shoeburyness. The FoxStrangways have asked me. Major O'Callaghan is Stage Manager I believe. Then there is a Major Newall, said to be very good. He says he "has a fancy to play 'A Happy Pair' with me!" It is his cheval de bataille I believe.