266 



A BOOK ABOUT ROSES 



plucked for ' Smalls ' — more than one great general 

 has lost his first battle — more than one Royal 

 Academician has had his first picture declined by the 

 hanging-committee. Some faint-hearted candidates 

 for fame never overcome a first discouragement. 

 Entering an exhibition of flowers and fruit at Lincoln 

 some years ago, I met a clerical friend, who informed 

 me confidentially that if I desired to know what a 

 melon ought to be he would forthwith gratify the wish. 

 Beaming with complacent smiles, he led me to the 

 place of melons ; but when we reached it, his coun- 

 tenance fell. The weather was intensely hot, and the 

 thirsty judges had obeyed implicitly the directions of 

 the schedule, that the merits of the fruit were to be 

 decided by flavour. Half of my friend's melon had 

 gone the way of all flesh (fruit), and a card resting 

 upon the remainder, thus announced the verdict of the 

 censors — 



Fourth Prize, 



IS. 



In vain I essayed to mitigate his woe by cheerful, I 

 may say humorous, remarks as to the melon-cholic 

 retribution which would surely overtake those un- 

 righteous men. It was the sort of thing, he informed 

 me, with which pleasantness had no connection what- 

 ever, belonging, as it did, to that sphere of incidents 



