OF LESS CONSEQUENCE 111 



Everybody who sees my pictures that is to say, 

 everybody who comes inside our garden gate- 

 admires them immensely. It is extraordinary that 

 in a little village like Willows there should be so 

 many good judges of art. Our laundress, now, 

 Mrs. Stiggins she thinks the world of them. A 

 fig for that fellow ! 



I now paint freely about in the village. Nobody 

 bothers me, as I feared they would. Perhaps, out 

 of sheer courtesy, they come and look over my 

 shoulder. But they never stay long. I think 

 they fear to intrude. 



I have given one of my pictures to Mrs. Stiggins. 

 Signed. It is a picture of her pretty cottage. She 

 came and watched me as I painted it, and I gave 

 it to her. 



My picture of Mrs. Stiggins's cottage is hung 

 nailed, I should say. 1 have seen it in Mrs. 

 Stiggins's parlour. On one side is the almanac 

 of a friendly society. On the cither is a large 

 shell with a view of Bournemouth Pier inside it. 



