6o TOWN AND WINDOW GARDENING 



a smooth and shining head of hair, dressed in bandeaux 

 (bandoHned — that is, gummed down if necessary), long, 

 loose ringlets (the Alexandra^ curl), or rolled back a 

 rimperatrice. The prettiest nosegay of that period was 

 the ample bunch of pink Moss-rose buds ; nothing 

 modern could be lovelier than that, nor sweeter. 



I have often wished that London's bevy of street-selling 

 flower-girls were more picturesque. Why cannot the 

 Society for beautifying London do something in this 

 direction ? The snowy caps of the grisette, or the 

 Italian kerchief — anything would be better than the 

 feathered hat and grimy jacket, and I would like neat 

 shoes instead of boots. W. E. Henley, another poet 

 who finds inspiration in London streets, has sketched her 

 with vivid pen — 



" Forth from Drury Lane, 

 Trapesing in any of her whirl of weathers 

 The flower-girl foots it, honest and hoarse and vain, 

 All boot and little shawl and wilted feathers, 

 Of populous corners right advantage taking 

 And, where they squat, endlessly posy-making." 



If we watch the working-up of the button-holes — a 

 thing I have often done — what a joyless, monotonous 

 task it looks ! Two ivy-leaves picked from the stalk with 

 as little joy as if they were oakum, wired together, and 

 flung into a basket like malefactors' heads. Two more, 

 and then two more, ad infinitum. When the basket is 

 quite full, to each pair of leaves a little cluster of Violets 

 is added, or a Rose-bud, or a few Pinks, or a Primrose or 

 two, according to the season. Later on, it will be sprigs 

 of Maiden-hair. Oh dear, that Maiden-hair ! When 

 will it cease to remind of Harry and Harriet ? Neither 

 of these good folk feels fully dressed without the spray of 

 Maiden-hair ; yet it soon dies, and its latest breaths are 

 bitter — we know exactly the smell of it, in its death- 

 throes, mingled with that of cheap tobacco-smoke. 



