‘There has been great beauty here amongst the young Wives and young Maidens.
‘Amongst the young Wives “the Queen of Beauty” is Mrs. Hambro (one month younger than my Juley), frolicsome and graceful as a kitten and having the form and eye of an antelope. She is tall and slender, not stately, and not seventeen—but quite able to make all daisies rosy and the ground she treads seem proud of her.
‘Then her complexion (or rather skin) is faultless—it is like the leaf of “that consummate flower” the Magnolia—a flower which is, I think, so mysterious in its beauty as if it were the only thing left unsoiled and unspoiled from the garden of Eden. A flower a blind man would mistake for a fruit too rich, too good for Human Nature’s daily food. We had a standard Magnolia tree in our garden at Sheen, and on a still summer night the moon would beam down upon these ripe rich vases, and they used to send forth a scent that made the soul faint with a sense of the luxury of the world of flowers. I always think that flowers tell as much of the bounty of God’s love as the Firmament shows of His handiwork.’
(After this digression the writer returns to Mrs. Hambro.)
‘Very dark hair and eyes contrasting with the magnolia skin, diamonds that dazzle and seem laughing when she laughs, and a costume that offers new varieties every third hour,’ completes the sketch of the heroine.
The letter also goes on to describe at length each of the ten members of the Guest family and many more visitors and relations, and is too long to quote in its entirety; but I cannot omit the description of:
‘all the young men and maidens standing in a circle in the High Hall and singing.
‘They all have splendid voices. All the boys play on flutes, violins and flageolet, singing every manner of Yankee chorus, glee and song, they dance and toss india-rubber balls, the grand hall seems almost too noble for this with its
Storied windows richly dight