GARDENS OF CELEBRITIES 



wear. There were more flowers in the garden then than now 

 but I cannot recall the " All Baba " pots of which there are now 

 several and which appear in the drawing, though they may have 

 been there ; but the President probably secured them when William 

 Morris obtained those that are so conspicuous in the garden at 

 Kelmscott House. It was the month of roses, and from a standard 

 tree near the house, he plucked and gave to me a lovely rose. I believe 

 I have it still, shrivelled and faded, but intact, somewhere in the 

 recesses of an old writing-desk used by me in those girlish days. 



And lest any should deem me foolishly romantic, let them 

 remember that the bond between master and pupil is a very strong 

 one as strong as that which binds students to their Alma Mater, 

 that I shared to the full the passionate admiration that all who 

 came in contact with Sir Frederick Leighton felt for the man, and 

 that, at that time, all students, and a large section of the art world, 

 felt for the genius of the artist. Perhaps he was right when he 

 himself said for his opinion of himself was a humble one " I 

 am not a great painter ; " but he was inspired by lofty ideals, 

 and insomuch as he was always striving to finish his work up to his 

 first conception, he was a great artist. 



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