HISTORICAL GARDENS 
295 
for widows. The garden was much too large for these 
decrepid old women to cultivate, so the place was taken 
in hand some twenty-five years ago by the Rev. Sidney 
Vatcher, who built the beautiful church of St. Philip, 
Stepney, hard by, and he became the tenant of the 
Brewers’ Company. This charming garden was at first 
more or less opened by him to the parish, but lately it 
has been put to the most suitable use of giving a quiet 
place for rest and recreation to the nurses of the London 
Hospital. The almshouses were pulled down about 
four years ago, to make way for the laundries of the 
Hospital. Here, indeed, is one of those sudden and 
surprising contrasts to be found in London. A high 
brick wall encloses this oasis, and the nurses and some 
privileged people have keys to the door, which opens, 
from a side street close to the noise of the Mile End 
Road, suddenly into a peaceful, picturesque garden. The 
idea in the formation was a willow-pattern plate, and the 
little bridge over a miniature stream is reproduced. 
Plane trees in a formal array are kept trimmed to give 
a dense shade, and the hammocks hung from them in 
summer provide the most ideal resting-places for the 
worn-out nurses. At one time animals were kept here 
in cages, as a kind of small “Zoo” for Whitechapel; 
but since the last alterations the animals have been re¬ 
linquished, and the bear-pit makes a delightful rock 
garden, and the various other cages form summer-houses. 
One thoughtful addition of the vicar was placing a small 
stove in one of these shelters, with an array of kettles, 
teapots, cups and saucers, so that any of the nurses 
resting can have their al fresco cup of tea—and what 
could be more grateful and comforting ? A French 
writer who recently gave her impressions of L’lle In- 
