Grandma's album 5

“The boy all blushing gave the maid a kiss, etc.” And they lived happily ever after. Yours sincerely F. Thomson.

I’ve actually managed to find out something about this one. The quote comes from a popular Music Hall song called ‘I’ll Be Your Sweetheart’, most popularly sung by Lil Hawthorne, and composed in 1899 by Harry Dacre (best known for writing the even more popular song, ‘Daisy Bell’). Here’s how it went:

Once there was two lovers in a garden,
A little boy and girl with golden hair.
At first I thought of asking them their pardon;
On second thoughts, I watched the loving pair.
The boy, all blushing, gave the maid a kiss
And passionately murmured this:

Chorus:
I'll be your sweetheart if you will be mine;
All my life I'll be your valentine.
Bluebells I've gathered,
Take them and be true.
When I'm a man, my plan
Will be to marry you.

The bluebells were accepted by the maiden,
Who said, "I'll keep them safely all my life.
But, suppose that you should meet some other lady,
Then I should never be your loving wife."
The boy, all blushing, took another kiss,
And tenderly he murmured this:

Chorus: etc.

They were a sentimental lot back then. My grandmother's friends clearly didn't take such things seriously, which is why I like this drawing.