Watson Charlton

Illustrations by Charlton of A Basket of Flowers (subtitled in some editions as Piety and Truth triumphant) translated from the German original of Christoph von Schmid. This book has a simple story. Mary's elderly father is a gardener and basket-maker who lives in a cottage and garden given him by the Count. Mary grows up to love flowers and the God who created them. She becomes friendly with the Count's daughter Amelia, and on her birthday takes her a basket of flowers. When she leaves, a diamond ring is missed, and on the accusation of Juliette, a jealous lady's maid, Mary is chained, dragged off to prison, tried, whipped and condemned to exile. Father and daughter are eventually taken in by a virtuous old couple, and restored to health and activity, cultivating a garden and making baskets. The old father dies a pious death, and Mary puts the basket of flowers on his grave. The friendly old couple are persecuted by their daughter-in-law. Mary, cast out again and again accused of theft, goes to weep on her father's grave where Amelia, who has recognised the basket, comes to tell her that the ring has been found in a magpie's nest. The just are rewarded and the guilty punished. • Illustration — Mary assures her father that she did not take the missing ring • Illustration — Mary is exiled after being imprisoned and whipped • Illustration — the cruel daughter-in-law casts out the couple who sheltered Mary • Illustration — Mary is approached by the Count's Daughter Amelia • Illustration — Mary hears the story of the disgraced dying Juliette