The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-27

lure, cnairs and takes and settles, and
great oreSsers which might bear weight
OF trenchers in some baronial hall
When Morris is at home il is in big
red oid-fashioned house on the Mail, Ham,
mersmith. 1t looks over the wide waters
OF the Thames. and in the distance one
sees little Chiswick Eyot, green in the
mlsts. When was there it was the early
autumn, and we drank our tea in the gar
den. Miss May Morris, who is now Mrs.
daiioay Sparkling and is the wife OF a very
delightful young socialist and HtteTIteUr,
presided at the tea table. 1t is an old,
abundant garden, that was once a country
garden, and looks n little forlorn amid the
encroaching brick and mortar. Ii used to
have orchards on every side, but now the
apples of the Hesperides glimmer only in
Its own old trees. The fruit trees are in
the vegetable beds in delightful homely
fashion. Roses are on the treilis, and the
place rings with birds, for the refugees
whom London has thrust out find home
In these gnarled b0ughs. / remember
that mulberry tree was in fruit That even
ing, and | tasted the berries for the second
time; the first had been from Millions
mulberry tree in the masters garden of
Christ's college, Cambridge.
Afterwards we went upstairs to the beau
tiful drawing room. 1t is hung and car
peted in Morris blue and has three great
windows overlooking the river. 1t has
two hreplaces and fire burned merrily III
one. By the side of it was great hooded
settle, a delightful place for lovers and for
children to creep into of winters night
and make believe that all outside was the
trackiess prairie full of wild beasts. At
the far end of the room the draperies are
Lanked with delightful diamond-paned
corner cupboards. At one end stood
wonderful cabinet, painted by Burne
Jones. with tabieaux on gold ground to
illustrate the story of the Jew of Malta.
The rest of the furniture was character
isticGliy large, for in the Morris house you
Wall find no dainty tribes. There was
nothing on the walls but the soft blue OF
the tapestry; no decoration save old china
and repoussc plaques in brass and copper
over the mantel shelves.
In the dining room, with its great white
wood dresser loaded with blue china, were
many Rossetti pictures, several of them
portraits and sketches of Mrs MoiHis. In
the bedrooms upstairs were many Rossetti
photographs, and 1t was curious TO look
from them to Miss Morris, for besides her
strong likeness to her beautiful mother,
whom Rossetti painted again and again,
che herself was constantly the model for
his angels and children.
That evening William Morris and Mrs.
Morris were both away at kelmscott. after
which this is called in Oxtordshire.
This, it will be remembered, IS the
house which Morris and Rossetti
took together in 1872. 1t is on the
upper luaiueS, anu must De forever MEM
orable because of the many influences il had
upon Rossetti's pictures and poetry. One
remembers in his letters to his mother:
1.-The river growths have continued to de-
velop one alter the other. The arrowhead
rush puts forth eventually most lovely
staff of blossoms, just like little scepter.
The way that the white blossoms grow
triple round the staff is most lovely" Or
again it is: "The white lily in the garden
has grown to a perfect decorative cluster"
Or it is something dearer and more init
mate: Il have often thought of you since
We last met-always whenever my path in
the garden lies by the windows of that
summer room at which used to see your
dear. beautiful old face in summer. To-
day the little Morris girls collected all the
flowers we could find in the garden-no
very choice gleaning-and they were sent
on to YOU"
only saw Mrs. Morris once. 1t was at
Mr.. Wilfrid Blunt's sale of Arab year.
lings at Crabbet park which, concluding
with garden party, brings the world of
art and letters as we'll as of fashion to
Sussex one afternoon in July. AS l stood
there among all the famous folk, she came
trailing over the grass, wrapt in light
shawl of soft, diaphanous, many-colored
stuff-lndian silk gauze or the like. She
was as graceful as Juno, and had the old
charm of glamor that one remembers in
Rossetti's pictures of her. I never think
of this beautiful and fascinating woman
without recalling her husbands poem of
her in that first volume of his, THE De-
Tense of Guinivere," which has all the dis
tant golden glamour of the middle ages.
Here are few verses from it:
Forehead. straight nose and cheeks that be
followed q little mournfully,
Bedi0 naed Domino!
Her forehead overshadowed much
BY bows OF hair, has q wave such
As God was good to make for me.
Bedt0 Tled DONNA!
Not greatly long my lady's hair,
Nor yet with yellow color fair,
But thick and crisped wonderfully.
Beata naca Domi10!
Heavy to make the pale face sad
And dark, but dead as though il had
Been forged by God most wonderfully,
Bed.d aaeo Domino!
or some strange metal, thread by thread.
To stand out from my ladys head,
Not moving much to tangle me,
Bedtd n!ed Donsfaoi
Beneath her brows the lids fall slow,
The lashes clear shadow throw
Where would wish my lips TO be,
BedtG Bed Domino!
Her great eyes standing far apart,
Draw up some memory from her heart,
And gaze out very mournfuly;
BcdtG meG Domino!
So beautiful and kind they are,
But most times looking out afar.
Waiting for something. not for me.
BedtG med Domin6t
And so the poem goes on telling tenderly
all her beauty. There is one verse that
describes her surprising grace SO excel
lenly l must quote 1t:
Of her long neck what shall sayT
What things about her body's sway,
Like Il knig hts pennon or slim tree
B6Gtd iaeG Domino!
Sc, gently waving in the wind;
Or her long hards that may End.
On some day sweet "a move Ger me2
BeltG DONNA!
So she came undulant that dav saw her
moving over the lawn at Crabbet.
Morris must have been quite young
when he was contributing some of these
exquisite poems 10 the HclcOme Guest,
magazine which in its day. under the
wise editorship OF Shirley Brookes, had
the most magnificent group of young
writer's aud artists working Tor il. \ vol
ume of il was the great delight OF my
childhood. | remember that among the
poetIcal contributions was Browning's
Evelyn Hope" and Morris sailing of
the sword" Every line OF the latter
came back 10 me with poignant sweetness
when recognized IL with delight III THE
Defense of Guinivere." l questioned
Morris himself once about the ambiguous