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A FLOWER WEDDING

    DESCRIBED·BY
    TWO WALLFLOWERS

    DECORATED·BY
    WALTER·CRANE

    CASSELL·&·COMPANY·1905

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A·FLOWER·WEDDING


    Yes, flower bells rang right merry that day,
    When there was a marriage of flowers, they say.

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    Young LAD’S LOVE had courted Miss Meadow·Sweet,
    And the two soon agreed at the Altar to meet.

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    A LILY white robe was worn by the Bride,
    And SWEET WILLIAM, the Groom, drest in red, at her side.

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    Miss VIOLET, PRIMROSE, and gay MARYGOLD,
    With their LADIES’ FINGERS her train did uphold.

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    In LADYSMOCKS, Bridesmaids, FORGET·ME·NOT blue,
    With their sashes all tied in LOVE·KNOT·TRUE.

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    The Bride’s Mother follows with loving EYEBRIGHT,
    All in WINTER GREEN and fine FURZE bedight.

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    Whilst her father looked young, though with OLD·MAN’S·BEARD.

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    (Was a DANDE·LION in youth I have heard.)

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    The troth was plighted for woe or for weal,
    And the lines attested by SOLOMON’S SEAL:

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    The BACHELOR’S BUTTON was cast aside,

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    And the throng that witnessed was LONDON’S PRIDE:

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    There was GOOD KING HENRY, a tall JONQUIL,

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    Like NARCISSUS himself by the waters still;

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    There were LORDS & LADIES to grace the dance,

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    And ROSE MARY, and—

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                        ROSE·LA·FRANCE:

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    With his GOLDEN ROD

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                          the SWEET SULTAN came;

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    Lastly, CREEPING JENNY, an elderly dame

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    To order the feast—there was LING, and HARTSTONGUE,

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    And GOOSEFOOT with SAGE, the HOUSE·LEEK among

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    Very SWEET PEAS, & GOOD CHERRY PIE,
    Such a feast as an Alderman could not deny!

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    In lovely KING·CUPS there was CHAMOMILE TEA

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    And the fortune in gifts was a wonder to see!
    A new PENNY-ROYAL, A fine GOLDEN FEATHER;

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    A pair of HORSE-CHESTNUTS,

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                                  a JACOB’S LADDER,

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    VENUS’S·LOOKING·GLASS,

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                            a fine ARROW-HEAD
    Discovered long since in the river’s bed;

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    Garments of FLAX,

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                        and a LADY’S CUSHION;

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    HOSE·IN·HOSE, LADY’S SLIPPERS to put on,

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    BUTTERCUPS gold, and a PITCHER-PLANT
    Nay, everything that a house could want.

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    In VENUS’S-FLY-TRAP the pair drove away,

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    “SPEEDWELL, and be happy,” their friends gaily say;

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    But alack! what a hubbub when one chanced to find
    The Bride’s only BOX was there left behind!

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    The WILD-THYME they had, and the fuss that was made
    Kept the guests in a rout thro’ the DEADLY NIGHT SHADE.

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    But the CLOCKS ticked apace to the ope of DAIS-Y
    SNOWFLAKES were fast falling when all said good-bye,

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    With regrets for “that box,”—yet they need not to stint,
    For the Bridegroom was rich, he’d a post at the MINT

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[Illustration: THE HONEYMOON

FINIS]