Britta's Letters from her life divided between city-life in German's capital Berlin and life in a Bavarian village

Monday 15 April 2013

Solved: The Riddle of a Literary Garden Quote


Fancy an educated guess who wrote this in 1892? 


April 14. Spent the whole of the afternoon in the garden, having this morning picked up at a bookstall for fivepence a capital little book, in good condition, on Gardening. I procured and sowed some half-hardy annuals in what I fancy will be a warm, sunny border. I thought of a joke, and called out Carrie. Carrie came out rather testy, I thought. I said: 'I have just discovered I have a lodging-house.' She replied: 'How do you mean?' I said: 'Look at the boarders.' Carrie said: 'Is that all you wanted me for?' I said: 'Any other time you would have laughed at my little pleasantry.' Carrie said: 'Certainly - at any other time, but not when I'm busy in the house.' 
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6 comments:

  1. I miss you. I want to go over to your house right now and sip a tea.

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  2. Dear Suze, wouldn't that be lovely? We'd sit on the balcony (it is amazingly warm now), I'd pour the tea (milk or sugar first? or at all?), and we would look on Berlin's life. You're welcome, my friend!

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  3. No idea who wrote this but I love the balcony. Is it yours? x

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    1. Dear Penny,
      yes: that's our balcony -so much smaller than our garden before - but on the other hand: very relaxing garden toil to do :-)

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  4. Hmmmm - at the risk of taking myself too, too seriously I will make a guess - and worry about it - but Carrie gives it away, and I'm pretty sure it's The Diary of a Nobody.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Pondside,
      WOW - THE WINNER IS: http://pondside1741.blogspot.de/ !
      The quote is from:
      George & Weedon Grossmith, The Diary of a Nobody

      A big fanfare and applause, thank you!

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