Her own increasing dislike of modem costume, too,
helped to make her change from figures. In 1858
her picture in the Academy was a species of com-
promise — two children playing with flowers in the
garden of an old ruined mansion. It was caUed
**Past and Present." Mr. Buskin spoke in praise
of this in his Notes : —

"There is not a more painstaking nor sincere
piece of work than this in the room; though it is



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^1^2^^ BLUNVEN MABTINO. 199

clearly the work of a hand which has not yet gained
its full strength* The figures are far from satisfac-
tory; but there are pieces of the old Manor House
and foreground thoroughly felt, and very nearly got
right — ^much righter in general tone of colour than
is usual in early work so far carried. The picture
is very curious in its quantity of work, and well
worth a long stoop to it/' It may be borne in
mind that Mr. Ruskin's Notes, comprised in a small
pamphlet, were written on the Royal Academy, the
two Societies of Water Colours, the Society of British
Artists, and the French Exhibition, and that out
of more than a thousand pictures in the Royal
Academy alone, Mr. Ruskin mentioned only twenty-
seven, of which Miss Blimden's was one.
But next year the figures had disappeared, and
all human interest was represented by an old boat.
