ABSTRACT
Now you may think of your translation, for I could only make a pencil picture of it, instead of an indication of the different grades of relief in perspective.
You see, the meaning of the thing is this. The old man had come from the road across the Close (where the cottages now are) and had plumped down, after his wont, when in site [sic] of the garden palings, &c; hearing the chatter & song of the many birds he loved so well, and conceived that beautiful poem (given in II vol: of Mackail’s life of him) wh’ May Morris embroidered on the vallance [sic] of her father’s bed. Whenever I considered the subject of the importunate “memorial” – that wonderful lyric poem was in my ears.1 “Town of the Tree,” marks the brief name of the building, and the gist of the picture is the line just above the words in the poem – linking them together. So, as you are a “dab” hand at birds you can put as many on the tree-foliage masses as you may have the patience for – of course, all rudely enough done, fi ttingly for weathering & your material, [2 or 3 words obliterated] all continuous drip being carried off by the covering mouldings of the panel hood, &c.
