A Flower Wedding - Described by Two Wallflowers

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 53619 *** A FLOWER WEDDING DESCRIBED·BY TWO WALLFLOWERS DECORATED·BY WALTER·CRANE CASSELL·&·COMPANY·1905 [Illustration] A·FLOWER·WEDDING Yes, flower bells rang right merry that day, When there was a marriage of flowers, they say. [Illustration] Young LAD’S LOVE had courted Miss Meadow·Sweet, And the two soon agreed at the Altar to meet. [Illustration] A LILY white robe was worn by the Bride, And SWEET WILLIAM, the Groom, drest in red, at her side. [Illustration] Miss VIOLET, PRIMROSE, and gay MARYGOLD, With their LADIES’ FINGERS her train did uphold. [Illustration] In LADYSMOCKS, Bridesmaids, FORGET·ME·NOT blue, With their sashes all tied in LOVE·KNOT·TRUE. [Illustration] The Bride’s Mother follows with loving EYEBRIGHT, All in WINTER GREEN and fine FURZE bedight. [Illustration] Whilst her father looked young, though with OLD·MAN’S·BEARD. [Illustration] (Was a DANDE·LION in youth I have heard.) [Illustration] The troth was plighted for woe or for weal, And the lines attested by SOLOMON’S SEAL: [Illustration] The BACHELOR’S BUTTON was cast aside, [Illustration] And the throng that witnessed was LONDON’S PRIDE: [Illustration] There was GOOD KING HENRY, a tall JONQUIL, [Illustration] Like NARCISSUS himself by the waters still; [Illustration] There were LORDS & LADIES to grace the dance, [Illustration] And ROSE MARY, and— [Illustration] ROSE·LA·FRANCE: [Illustration] With his GOLDEN ROD [Illustration] the SWEET SULTAN came; [Illustration] Lastly, CREEPING JENNY, an elderly dame [Illustration] To order the feast—there was LING, and HARTSTONGUE, [Illustration] And GOOSEFOOT with SAGE, the HOUSE·LEEK among [Illustration] Very SWEET PEAS, & GOOD CHERRY PIE, Such a feast as an Alderman could not deny! [Illustration] In lovely KING·CUPS there was CHAMOMILE TEA [Illustration] And the fortune in gifts was a wonder to see! A new PENNY-ROYAL, A fine GOLDEN FEATHER; [Illustration] A pair of HORSE-CHESTNUTS, [Illustration] a JACOB’S LADDER, [Illustration] VENUS’S·LOOKING·GLASS, [Illustration] a fine ARROW-HEAD Discovered long since in the river’s bed; [Illustration] Garments of FLAX, [Illustration] and a LADY’S CUSHION; [Illustration] HOSE·IN·HOSE, LADY’S SLIPPERS to put on, [Illustration] BUTTERCUPS gold, and a PITCHER-PLANT Nay, everything that a house could want. [Illustration] In VENUS’S-FLY-TRAP the pair drove away, [Illustration] “SPEEDWELL, and be happy,” their friends gaily say; [Illustration] But alack! what a hubbub when one chanced to find The Bride’s only BOX was there left behind! [Illustration] The WILD-THYME they had, and the fuss that was made Kept the guests in a rout thro’ the DEADLY NIGHT SHADE. [Illustration] But the CLOCKS ticked apace to the ope of DAIS-Y SNOWFLAKES were fast falling when all said good-bye, [Illustration] With regrets for “that box,”—yet they need not to stint, For the Bridegroom was rich, he’d a post at the MINT [Illustration] [Illustration: THE HONEYMOON FINIS] End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Flower Wedding, by Walter Crane *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 53619 ***