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]
