Reference 22 of 364 ordered by: Reference number (ascending)
Author:
Thomas Hardy
Biography Title:
The Life and Work of Thomas Hardy
Page No.:
171
Researcher:
Jane Hugen-Tobler
Publisher:
The Macmillan Press Ltd.
First Published:
n/a
Clothing:
Dress; Jewellery; Hat;
Colours:
White
Material:
n/a
Quotation:
[XIII, 1884, April 26] "Curious scene. A fine poem in it:
"Four girls-itinerant musicians-sisters-have been playing opposite Parmiter's in the High Street. The eldest had a fixed, old, hard face, and wore white roses in her hat. Her eyes remained on one close object, such as the buttons of her sister's dress; she played the violin. The next sister, with red roses in her hat, had rather bold dark eyes and a coquettish smirk. She too played the violin. The next, with her hair in ringlets, beat the tambourine. The youngest, a mere child, dinged the triangle. She wore a bead necklace. All wore large brass earrings like Jews'-harps, which dangled to the time of the jig...I saw them again in the evening, the silvery gleams from Saunder's [silver-smith's] shop shining out upon them...the coquettish one was no longer bold but archly tender; her dirty white roses were pure as snow; her sister's red ones a fine crimson: the brass earrings were golden..."