of the Virgin," the picture Charles Dickens had advertised by declaring
it to be "blasphemously idolatrous."

Burne-Jones was so delighted with Rossetti's work that he insisted upon
Rossetti giving him lessons; and then he wrote such a glowing account of
the Rossettis to his chum, William Morris, that Morris came up to see
for himself whether these things were true.

Morris met the Rossettis, spent the evening at their home, and went back
to Oxford filled with the idea of Utopia, and that the old world would
not find rest until it accepted the dictum of Mrs. Rossetti, "A few
plain things suffice."

It was a woman who brought about the Epoch.

* * * * *

The year Eighteen Hundred Fifty was certainly rich in gifts for Gabriel
Rossetti. He was twenty-two, gifted, handsome, intellectual, the adored
pet and pride of his mother and two sisters, and also the hero of the
little art group to which he belonged. I am not sure but that the lavish
love his friends had for him made him a bit smug and self-satisfied, for
we hear of Ruskin saying, "Thank God he is young," which remark means
all that you can read into it.

At this time Rossetti had written many poems, and at least one great
one, "The Blessed Damozel." He had also painted at least one great
picture, "The Girlhood of the Virgin," a canvas he vainly tried to sell
for forty pounds, and which later was to be bought by the nation for the
tidy sum of eight hundred guineas, and now can not be bought for any
price--but which, nevertheless, may be seen by all, on the walls of the
National Gallery.

But four numbers of "The Germ" had been printed, and then the venture
had sunk into the realm of things that were, weighted with a debt of one
hundred twenty pounds. Of the fifty-one contributions to "The Germ"
twenty-six had been by the Rossettis. Dante Gabriel, always a bit
superstitious, felt sure that the gods were trying to turn him from
literature to art, but Christina felt no comfort in the failure.

Then came the championship of Ruskin, and this gave much courage to the
little group. Doubtless none knew they stood for so much until they had
themselves explained to themselves by Ruskin.

Then best of all came Burne-Jones and Morris, adding their faith to the
common fund and proving by cash purchases that their admiration was
genuine.

Rossetti's poem, "The Blessed Damozel," was without doubt inspired by
Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee,"