all your dreams turn bittersweet

'What has brought you home so early? I thought you were going to tea with that friend of Mr Bell's; that Mr Hale.'

'So I am, mother; I am come home to dress!'

'Dress! humph! When I was a girl, young men were satisfied with dressing once in a day. Why should you dress to go and take a cup of tea with an old parson?'

'Mr Hale is a gentleman, and his wife and daughter are ladies.'

[.....] 'Take care you don't get caught by a penniless girl, John.'

'I am not easily caught, mother, as I think you know. But I must not have Miss Hale spoken of in that way, which, you know, is offensive to me. I never was aware of any young lady trying to catch me yet, nor do I believe that any one has ever given themselves that useless trouble.

Antique Victorian Vulcanite Eagle Mourning Brooch Pin

Symbolism:

Garland - representing the triumph of the soul over death and the realization of eternal life.

Grapevines for mourning are deeply rooted in history and symbolism, with vines and leaves frequently found in historical cemetery monuments and Victorian-era mourning jewelry. They symbolize rebirth, the triumph over death, and the joys of the afterlife, as well as the blood of Christ in Christian tradition.

Eagle – Representing courage and possibly a military career.

Rose – Representing love, beauty, hope and goodness and associated with the Virgin Mary and the ‘rose without thorns.’ A red rose stands for martyrdom and a white rose means purity.

Forget-me-nots - Representing enduring remembrance, true love, and faithfulness. It served as a comforting promise that the emotional bond with the deceased remained unbroken, transcending death and keeping the memory of the loved one alive.

top tier love confessions

Sol Lewitt, Irregular Grid