Post Fourteen

David

We left the next day for Chester, such an ancient town – I remember its ancient wall – one of the two towns in England which have their Roman walls. We bought our door knocker in a little Antique Shop on the wall. I always like to think of that. I think it was at Stratford that we picked up the car that was to take us around Cornwall and Devon – such a beautiful country to pass through, the rough stark cliffs of Cornwall and the peaceful pastoral land of Devon – one wonders how they could be so near together.

But, first we had to stop at Stratford to visit Shakespheare’s birthplace and and the other ancient places in town – I remember the gardens of New Place – the house Shakespeare built – they were lovely in their new spring dresses. After we went to Bath on the way, stopping at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, where I asked the gardner for a bit of something from such a beautiful garden. He gave me a sprig of lilac which our chauffeur potted for me and has grown to great dimensions in the years that have followed. [Note: On entering the U.S. I took the lilac out of the pot and pinned it in the sleeve of my coat so I could get it through.]

It was perfect at Bath. My only objection was the ruling that no one could go in the baths without a doctor’s prescription.

On around the coast of Cornwall to Penzance, a wild, bleak country. We crossed the moors to King Arthur’s Castle, having to ask the way, so the first people we met told us to cross the moor and go down the ravine and ask the old woman in the hut for the key. So, we did and were given a huge key. After crossing the most turbulent water in one of the cliffs , we got to the castle and opened the door, which was open to the sky. Beautiful Bluebells inside, so I picked some and when I got back to the hut to return the key, she said she had planted all those bluebells – of course. Daddy gave her a good tip for them, but I know they grew wild. I wrote a poem about King Arthur’s Castle.

At Torquay, we stayed at a hotel where I am convinced we saw George Bernard Shaw. Also, I bought a beautiful old Wedgewood plate. I had also bought a pair of old Wedgewood vases in Broadway. I have them on the mantle. They look so beautiful.

At last we were in Southampton to embark on our home ward way. My lilac was put in our cabin and I watered it all the way to New York. When we left the ship, I took it out of the pot and pinned it in my coat sleeve and thus got it through customs. I was amazed going through customs at their enormous library. We had to wait till everyone was gone, while the officials looked up references to see if my Wedgewood and inlaid table were old- when finally they decided they were, they said, “I don’t wonder you wanted to buy them,” so I was justified in my belief in them.

Oh, how glad I was to be home to see my three darling children again. And how they had grown. We arrived on Saturday and on Sunday was Baptism in church, so we had Nancy baptized. The Partridges had been to the Middle East that Spring and Ruth had brought water from the River Jordan, so Nancy was baptized with it. I thought it very nice of Ruth to bring it.

It didn’t take long to get into the swing of things, and I was helping to establish a garden club in Proctor, and putting on flower shows and judging Flower Shows
in Brandon, Rutland, and other towns.

Then I took up painting – I could never quite understand how my mother had given me private lessons in drawing when we lived in England and didn’t encourage me when I was older – for instance, sending me to Wheelock instead of letting me to go to Art School in Boston. But it is just as well, as I would never have met Claude and had the wonderful life I have had.