2l8 A BOOK wVBOUT ROSES. 



Returning to realities — at the close of the ex- 

 hibition it was my happy privilege to distribute 

 the thirty-six silver cups which had been specially 

 designed for the occasion, and were, as I need 

 hardly say, prettily and profusely engraved with 

 Roses. The winners were — (of nurserymen) 

 Messrs. Paul of Cheshunt, Mr. Cranston of Here- 

 ford, Mr. Cant of Colchester, Mr. Francis of Hert- 

 ford, Mr. Turner of Slough, and Mr. Hollamby of 

 Tunbridge Wells ; and (of amateurs) Mr. Giles 

 Puller of Youngsbury, Captain Maunsell and Rev. 

 G. Maunsell, Thorpe Malsor ; Mr. R. Fellowes 

 and Rev. R. Fellowes, Shottesham ; Mr. Worth- 

 ington. Cavendish Priory ; Rev. H. Helyar, Yeo- 

 vil ; Mr. Mallett, Nottingham ; Mr. Sladden, Ash ; 

 Mr. Fryer, Chatteris ; Mr. Walker, Oxford ; Mr. 

 Hewitt, and Mr. Blake of Ware. Two cups were 

 awarded to my own Roses, the process of presen- 

 tation being " gratifying, but embarrassing," as 

 Mrs. Nickleby remarked when her eccentric lover 

 would carve her name on his pew. 



So ended the first National Rose-Show. It 

 was, as one of its best supporters, and one of our 



Park, and the Crystal Palace, with her own favored admirer. Mars. 

 So, awful in her beauty, she canne in a revengeful glow, and Flora's 

 Roses grew pale before the Roses on the cheeks of Aphrodite, and the 

 poor goddess went back to her gardens, and the pocket-handkerchiefs 

 went back also to the noses of the unhappy Naiades. 



