"The Willow Man" and "Grandmother's Spring" were both written to protest
against wantonly wasting Dame Nature's gifts, and the Note on page 69
shows that Mrs. Ewing had learnt this lesson herself in childhood. My
Father has lately recalled an incident which he believes first roused
our Mother to teach the lesson to us. They were driving to Sheffield one
day, when on Bolsover Hill they saw a well-known veterinary surgeon of
the district, Mr. Peech, who had dismounted from his horse, and was
carefully taking up a few roots of white violets from a bank where they
grew in some profusion. He showed Mrs. Gatty what he was gathering, but
told her he was taking care to _leave a bit behind_. This happened fully
forty years ago, long before the Selborne and other Societies for the
preservation of rare plants and birds had come into existence, and
Mother was much impressed and pleased by Mr. Peech's delicate
scrupulousness.

"A Soldier's Children" was written in 1879, whilst many friends were
fighting in South Africa, and ten years before a story bearing the same
name was issued by the writer of _Bootles' Baby_.

The "Songs for Music" appeared in 1874 in a volume called _Songs by Four
Friends_, except the two last poems, "Anemones" and "Autumn Tints." The
former was given by Mrs. Ewing to her brother, Mr. Alfred Scott-Gatty,
to set to music, and it has recently been published by Messrs. Boosey.
"Autumn Tints" was found amongst Mrs. Ewing's papers after her death,
and is now printed for the first time.

HORATIA K.F. EDEN.

_June 1895._