274 MORE POT-POURRI 



I have in the entrance drive a large Balsam-bearing 

 Poplar or Tacamahac tree, as I believe it to be correctly 

 called. Mr. London in his ' Arboretum ' describes it 

 exactly. Every garden of a certain size would be the 

 better for having one of these trees, because of the exquisite 

 smell of the long catkins produced in April. If one 

 passes near the tree in showery weather, the air reminds 

 one of a greenhouse filled with Cape Jessamine or 

 Gardenia. The scent does not last very long, but while it 

 does I know nothing sweeter. 



April 6th. Years ago I had the great pleasure of going 

 to D. G. Eossetti's studio. He was working at the small 

 replica of his beautiful big picture now at Liverpool 

 Dante's dream from the ' Vita Nuova.' In the picture Love 

 holds his hand and gives Beatrice dead the kiss that 

 Dante never gave her living. It is a poem which can be 

 interpreted in a hundred ways, according to the mind and 

 heart of those who look. To most people I suppose it is 

 the glorious interpretation of a very common mental 

 attitude what we have not had is to us what is most 

 precious and most beautiful and most lasting. When 

 Eossetti ceased to be among us, and with the memory of 

 that afternoon at his studio strong upon me, I went to his 

 house in Cheyne Walk on the ' private view ' day before the 

 sale. I tried to buy one or two of his things, but they 

 went at very high prices, and I got nothing ; still I have 

 always remembered what struck me as a lovely and 

 original firescreen. I have had it copied several times, 

 and it has given pleasure to many ; so I will describe it 

 here, that it may give pleasure to a few more. It was a 

 little Chippendale plain mahogany screen consisting of 

 three narrow leaves. The surface of each of these was 

 entirely covered with the eyes of peacock feathers stuck 

 one over the other, like the scales of a fish, each eye having 

 the long feathers round it cut off. The other side of the 



