Essays on Life 



Maher - Shalal - Hash - Baz was a man or a 

 woman, but there were plenty of names quite 

 as unmanageable at the Virgin's grandmother's 

 option, and we cannot sufficiently thank her 

 for having chosen one that is so euphonious 

 in every language which we need take into 

 account. For this reason alone we should 

 not grudge her her portrait, but we should 

 try to draw the line here. I do not think we 

 ought to give the Virgin's great-grandmother 

 a statue. Where is it to end ? It is like 

 Mr. Crookes's ultimissimate atoms; we used 

 to draw the line at ultimate atoms, and now 

 it seems we are to go a step farther back 

 and have ultimissimate atoms. How long, I 

 wonder, will it be before we feel that it will 

 be a material help to us to have ultimissimis- 

 simate atoms ? Quavers stopped at demi- 

 semi-demi, but there is no reason to suppose 

 that either atoms or ancestresses of the Virgin 

 will be so complacent. 



I have said that on St. Anne's left hand 

 there is a lady who is bringing in some flowers. 

 St. Anne was always passionately fond of 



flowers. There is a pretty story told about 



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