2. For "GOD bless the good soldiers like old father and Captain Powder and the men with good conduct medals, and please let the naughty ones be forgiven,"--he had got some men being released out of prison cells.
3. For "There are eight verses and eight Alleluias, and we can't sing very well, but we did our best.
"Only Mary would cry in the verse about 'Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest'!"-- --he had got a very poor thing of three children singing.
Now these were all highly-finished drawings. Quite complete, and I know the man is _driven_ with work (for cheap pay!). So I hesitated, and worried myself. At last I took courage and sent them back, having faith in the "thoroughness" which he so eminently works with.
For 1, I sent him a sketch! said the lady must wear a bonnet in church, and her boys must take off their hats! That she must kneel _forwards_, be dressed in a deep sealskin with heavy fox edge, and have her eyes _down_, and the children must kneel _imitating her_, and I should like an old _brass_ on the wall above them with one of those queer old kneeling families in ruffs.
For 2, I said I could not introduce child readers to the cells, and I begged for an old Chelsea Pensioner showing his good conduct medal to a little boy.
3. I suggested the tomb of a Knight Crusader, above which should fall a torn banner with the words, "In Coelo Quies."
Now if he had kicked at having three pictures to do utterly over again, one could hardly have wondered, pressed as he is. But, back they came! "I am indeed much indebted to you," the worst he had to say! The lady in No. 1 now _is_ a lady; and as to the other two, they will be two of the best pages of the book. Old Pensioner first-rate, and Crusader under torn banner just leaving "Coelo Quies," a tomb behind "of S. Ambrose of Milan" with a little dog--and a snowy-moustached old General, with bending shoulders and holding a little girl by the hand, paying _devoir_ at the Departed Warrior's tomb in a ray of rosy sunlight!!
This is the sort of way we are fighting through the Ewing-André books.
Fancy me "learning a part" again! _That_ has a sort of sound like old times, hasn't it?
I feel half as if I were a fool, and half as if it would be very good fun! R.A. theatricals at Shoeburyness. The FoxStrangways have asked me. Major O'Callaghan is Stage Manager I believe. Then there is a Major Newall, said to be very good. He says he "has a fancy to play 'A Happy Pair' with me!" It is his _cheval de bataille_ I believe.