Page:Poems by Christina Rossetti with illustrations by Florence Harrison.djvu/15



Christina Rossetti was the one woman of the young "Pre-Raphaelite" company. When their little short-lived "Germ" was published, in 1850, three notable poets were associated—Coventry Patmore, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Christina. She was one of that band; but little, indeed, do we hear of her in the many histories and recollections of the times and the men. She lived in close affection with her family, in slight intercourse with a few friends, but much aloof from the world. Her seclusion was not in the service of herself or of her muse. We are told that during fifty-six years she was hardly a night absent from her mother. To that mother, to her two aged aunts, to the services of her church, to the succour of the poor—in a word to duty, she dedicated herself informally. Her brother, Mr. W. M. Rossetti, has written: "One thing which occupied her to an extent one would hardly credit was the making-up of scrapbooks for hospital patients or children". So far was this woman of genius from the rebelliousness and self-seeking not unknown among women-writers of a little talent.

Christina Rossetti was London-born in 1830, of an Italian father and a mother partly Italian partly English, and was brought up to be almost completely an Englishwoman, albeit her childhood was passed within hearing of the vehement conversations of her father's Italian political friends. She travelled extremely little; we read of but one tour in Italy. Her great devotion to the Anglican Church seemed to fix her yet more firmly as English. Twice she was sought in marriage,